The Dallas Cowboys’ all-time sack leader, DeMarcus Ware, who closed his career with a Super Bowl 50 win in Denver, retired in 2017 after back problems and repeated procedures wore down his body. Now a Hall of Famer, Ware has explained why he turned the offer down instead of returning.

“When I left Denver, I had an opportunity to go play for the Rams with Wade,” DeMarcus Ware said on Free Range with Von Miller. “And Wade, at the time, he brought in Whitworth and me. Whitworth was going to be the offensive captain. I was going to be defensive captain. And I just had neck surgery and back surgery. I remember I broke my arm, too, last year. So I was feeling good after that. And then I got on the plane, man. And after the physical, I passed everything. They were like, ” We’re going to pay you good. And then I got on the plane, man…

And my back started hurting again. And I was like, I don’t know, man. I’m like, God, I think you’re talking to me right now. I was like, I think it’s time to hang the cleats up for me. That’s what God was telling me. And then once I did that, I was done. But I had all this technology stuff. I was always in technology. I started building those apps. And so I’ve been doing that ever since. And that, I think, has been my saving grace.”

While in Los Angeles for other business in March 2017, Ware took a meeting with Rams head coach Sean McVay and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, according to Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times. Tom Pelissero also reported that the Rams hosted him on a visit.

Phillips was a familiar face. He had coached Ware in Dallas and Denver for six seasons, and three of Ware’s four first-team All-Pro selections came under him. On paper, it looked like a reunion that could work.

It never happened, and the reason was Ware’s body, which had been sending bills for years. Ware had reconstructive right shoulder surgery after 2012, and he missed the first three games of his career in 2013, his final year in Dallas. He then played all 16 games for the Broncos in 2014, the same year he had right elbow surgery.

The final two seasons were rougher. A back injury that first flared up in Dallas cost him five games in 2015, though he still came up big in the AFC title game and the Super Bowl. In 2016, he had surgery for a fractured ulna.

He missed 11 games over those last two years with back issues and the fractured elbow. His season ended with back surgery to repair a ruptured disc.

So when Ware announced his retirement in March 2017, after 12 seasons and 138.5 sacks, it came even though multiple teams had offered him more than $7 million per year. He shared the news through his then-called Twitter account.

“After a lot of thought and prayer, I’ve decided to accept the unknown and retire from my NFL career. Tempting opportunities still present themselves for me to play, and I feel better than I have in years. However, long-term health and quality of life outweigh the spark and passion to play that I once had.’’

As for the career he walked away from, Dallas drafted him in 2005, and over nine seasons he led the league in sacks twice, made seven straight Pro Bowls, and left with 117 sacks, the most in franchise history. He joined the Broncos in 2014 as part of Elway’s defensive makeover, alongside safety T.J. Ward and cornerback Aqib Talib.

In Denver, he finished with 81 tackles and 21.5 sacks, raised his Pro Bowl count to nine, and helped win Super Bowl 50, including a dozen quarterback hits during the playoff run.

In the end, Ware chose his long-term health over one more season, even with offers on the table.