Kansas City Chiefs: Brandon Flowers retires from the NFL

He may not have been in the Red n’ Gold for a few years, but former Kansas City Chiefs corner Brandon Flowers will retire as an all-time fan favorite.

From 2008 to 2013, the left side of the Kansas City Chiefs secondary was locked down by one man. Former Chiefs cornerback Brandon Flowers never got the accolades he deserved for his play on the field, but he was always a fan favorite. Today the stalwart corner announced his retirement from the NFL after nine seasons.

For the past three years, Brandon Flowers has been working in the

San Diego

Los Angeles Chargers secondary. It’s been kind of tough seeing him play for a division foe, but at least it wasn’t the Raiders or Broncos. That sort of goes back to the heart of Flowers being a fan favorite. Even when he changed teams in the division, it wasn’t to our most bitter rivals.

Brandon Flowers is retiring as one of the most underrated players of his generation. Only being selected to one Pro Bowl in his career, most casual NFL fans probably aren’t even really aware of Flowers. That’s unfortunate because he played the position far better than some of his most celebrated peers.

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Making His Mark

Those who have followed Brandon Flowers through his career know just how good he has been at the position. There are few corners in the NFL that utilize the sideline as well as he did. Despite his lack of height, Flowers was able to match up with just about any receiver in the NFL. He utilized technique and awareness to overcome his physical limitations.

Of course, what he will be most remembered for during his tenure with the Kansas City Chiefs was his infamous interception returned for a touchdown against the Raiders. Brandon Flowers capped off the terrific play by placing the ball on the ground in the endzone and flexing in front of the Black Hole. The response was exactly what you’d imagine.

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It was a bittersweet moment when the Chiefs let Brandon Flowers go after the 2013 season. He had finally been recognized for his outstanding play, but no longer fit into the organization’s long-term plans. All of his work through years of futility amounted to him being let go just as the team was turning things around.

A nine year career in the NFL is nothing to scoff at. With six of those years being spent toiling on a bad team, Brandon Flowers has certainly earned the respect of all of Chiefs Kingdom. In fact, I wouldn’t be upset at all to see the Chiefs reach out to him with a one-day contract so that he can retire as a member of the organization.

We should all be wishing the best to Brandon Flowers as he moves on to the next stage of his life. Hopefully it will be just as successful, but maybe with a bit more acknowledgement than his playing days. He’ll always be a fan favorite in Kansas City though.