Eddie Goldman spent 13 days as a member of the Atlanta Falcons before an unceremonious retirement announcement on Tuesday. After six seasons with the Chicago Bears, the lineman’s release in early March marked a disappointing end to a once-promising future.
As Goldman enters post-football life, fans and players alike continue cracking jokes at the retirees expense – including rival Saints lineman Cameron Jordan.
Playfully taking a divisional rivalry to another level is what the game is all about. Jordan has spent 11 seasons in the NFL, all with the Saints. Only missing one game in his illustrious career, Jordan’s earned the right to take jabs at his foes. Joking that Goldman would rather quit the game than play for Atlanta certainly fits the bill.
However, some Falcons faithful took exception to the minor insult. One fan quickly responded with the all-time record between the teams, showing the Falcons’ 54-52 lead in the series. Jordan retorted with a nifty nickname for the rival, also pointing out the different tale since the All-Pro’s arrival in the Big Easy.
Fans of the Falcons, scrambling for witty responses, highlighted New Orleans’ new state of despair with the football team. The Saints lost longtime head coach Sean Payton to retirement to kick off the offseason. And as the coach ponders returning to the sideline in the future, spurning Louisiana in the process offers low-hanging fruit to rival fans within the NFC South.
Is Cameron Jordan Onto Something, Or is Eddie Goldman’s Retirement Purely Personal?
Eddie Goldman’s dominance stretched just two seasons of productivity. Never selected the Pro Bowl and always overshadowed by Akiem Hicks and Khalil Mack, the lineman still earned a four-year extension in 2018. Sitting out in 2020, the contract extended through 2023. However, upon a major regime change in Chicago, the team cut ties with the lineman at the beginning of the new league year.
Questions frequently surrounded Goldman’s commitment to football. Sitting out in 2020 due to coronavirus concerns, and a lack of participation in last year’s training camp didn’t help. The 28-year-old’s presence in Chicago had grown stale, creating a necessity for fresh start. Instead, Goldman’s last-minute retirement offers validation of the questions.
