Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Derrick Mason suddenly announced his retirement on Monday. The move shocked the Ravens who were expecting their #1 receiver to be back in 2009. Mason was in the final year of his contract but the Ravens were ready to sign him to a new contract. The loss of Mason is a big one for a Baltimore team that is coming off an AFC Championship game appearance. The Ravens are 19-1 to win Super Bowl XLIV but without Mason those NFL betting odds at the sports book look too low.
It is still possible that Mason will change his mind. NFL betting information tells us that he told ESPN that for now though, he is retired. “This is a decision that I’ve made,” Mason said, “If I do change my mind, it won’t be because of the Ravens. It’ll be because of some other things – my family and talking with other people. I still got to talk with some coaches over there. As far as financially, I don’t think they can do anything to sway me.” Derrick Mason says he has been thinking about this for a while. “I have been thinking about this since season ended,” Mason said to a website, “Emotionally I am just not that enthused. I have not been that enthused to get up and work out. … It was getting to that point. This decision has nothing to do with the contract situation; I have made enough money, more than enough money.”
NFL betting info tells us that while Mason has announced his retirement it is not official until he informs the league. Mason could use his retirement as leverage to get a new deal from the Ravens but that doesn’t seem to be his motivation. Online betting information tells us that Mason’s agent Lamont Smith said that the lack of a new deal is not the reason Mason is retiring. “He stated that emotionally and physically he did not feel up to the enormous demands that professional football requires to compete at the level that he is accustomed to competing,” Smith said. NFL odds stats show that Mason is a 12-year NFL veteran who played eight seasons with Tennessee and the last four with Baltimore. NFL betting stats tell us that Mason has caught 183 passes in the past two seasons. Without Mason, Baltimore’s top two receivers as NFL odds numbers show would be Mark Clayton and Demetrius Williams.