Packers outside linebacker Julius Peppers raised some eyebrows in January when he said he was “not sure” whether he’d play again this year.
He’s sure now.
Peppers told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press that he was ready to play in 2016, and for several years to come.
“I’m just saying that I’m 36, so, in the next four years, somewhere in there, I should be done,” Peppers said.
He’s entering the final year of a three-year deal with the Packers, and said the end of the season may have made him sound more contemplative of retirement than he intended.
“I think somebody kind of took [my comments after the season] out of context,” Peppers said. “They asked me after the game what did I think about next year, and I was just saying that pretty much everybody has decisions to make and that type of thing. But as far as I know, I think I’m going to be playing next year, unless something happens that I don’t know about. And that’s possible.”
Peppers has 136.0 sacks in 14 seasons, and had 10.5 last year, showing he can still be productive.
He’s tied for ninth on the all-time sack list (with the recently retired Jared Allen), and has more than any active player. He’s six away from passing Michael Strahan for fifth on the all-time list, and he’s only had fewer than 7.0 in a season once in his career.
