Browns' McGinest To Play Final NFL Season In 2008

Cleveland, OH (AHN) - Browns linebacker Willie McGinest announced on Thursday that this season will be his final year in the NFL.

McGinest is entering the final year of his three-season, $12 million deal with Cleveland and will retire after the 2008 campaign. In two years with the Browns, he amassed 75 tackles and seven sacks.

"This will be it," he told SportsIllustrated.com. "This will be my 15th season. I've worked hard; I think I've done everything I set out to accomplish."

"I have no regrets or no qualms about my career," McGinest added. "I've done everything a football player can do and I've done it more than once."

The USC standout gained prominence while spending his first 12 years with New England, helping the Patriots win three Super Bowl titles. He was the team's sacks machine, compiling 78 sacks in his career with the team.

Cleveland general manager Phil Savage said McGinest will be missed for his game on the field and for his leadership in the team.

"He was key after (last year's) first game when we played so poorly against Pittsburgh," Savage told the Canton Repository. "He was one of the guys who kind of spearheaded the players-only meeting that seemed to stem the tide of things going south.

"He's given quite a bit of guidance to a lot of our young players," Savage added. "Between he and Joe Jurevicius and players like that, they've been invaluable as we've tried to turn the roster over and develop what our identity is going to be."