Green Bay Packers: 20 greatest players since 2010
By Joe Kipp
17. Jermichael Finley, Tight End
During his career, Jermichael Finley was one of the most difficult bodies to cover in the entire NFL. The 6-foot-5, 250-pound tight end was probably the last receiver Aaron Rodgers could throw a true 50/50 ball to and trust that his player was the only one who had a chance.
Still only 31 years-old, Finley was forced to retire at an early age due to a career-ending neck injury. The injury was officially deemed a ‘spinal contusion’ after a helmet-to-helmet collision during the 2013 season. He was temporarily paralyzed with minimal feeling in his extremities.
The following offseason Finley received some initial interest from teams in free agency, but ultimately elected to cash-in on a $10 million insurance policy. “If I quit the game right now, I can take tax-free money, and that’s a difficult thing that I’m going through with myself,” Finley stated in 2014.
Finley officially retired in October 2015, finishing with 223 receptions, 2,785 yards and 20 touchdowns to end his career. He will be remembered as an excellent red-zone threat, but the thought of ‘what could have been’ will haunt Packers’ fans forever.