Ex-Cowboy and Bronco DeMarcus Ware announces retirement

iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Linebacker DeMarcus Ware announced on Twitter he will retire after 12 years in the NFL.

The 34-year-old Ware spent the first nine years of his career playing for the Dallas Cowboys, collecting 117 of his 138.5 careers sacks in Dallas. He is 8th on the all-time sacks list, leading the league in 2008 and 2010.

In 2014, Ware joined the Denver Broncos along with fellow Pro Bowl players Aqib Talib, Emmanuel Sanders, and T.J. Ward as the organization was aggressive in improving its roster. They reached the Super Bowl the next two seasons, winning in 2015.

A team captain for the Broncos, Ware was hampered by back injuries over the past two seasons, watching his sack total decrease over those two years. Last season, he fractured his forearm, missing five games. He was also absent for most of the offseason work with a back infection that required repeated IV antibiotics to treat according to ESPN.

Ware was elected to nine Pro Bowls over his 12-year career.

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