Joe Berger discusses retirement after the 2017 Minnesota Vikings season

At age 35, Joe Berger has been a valuable part of the Minnesota Vikings offensive line for several seasons, but 2017 may be his final year in the NFL.

When it comes to great bargains on the offensive line, the Minnesota Vikings hit the jackpot when they signed center/guard Joe Berger during the 2011 season to be a part of their offensive line grouping.

Berger struggled to latch on to his previous locations after being drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the sixth round of the  2005 NFL Draft. After that, he landed with the Miami Dolphins twice and spent some time with the Dallas Cowboys as well.

But it wasn’t until Berger came to the Vikings that he really found his niche. The versatile lineman became one of Pro Football Focus’ most praised players while substituting wherever needed on the interior of the Minnesota offensive line.

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Sadly, 2017 may be the last year the Vikings have Berger’s talents at their disposal, as he recently spoke on the Pioneer Press website about likely hanging up his cleats for good after this year:

"“You never know what the circumstances are going to be, but in my mind, that’s the way I’m looking at it,” Berger told the Pioneer Press. “It’s year 13 and it’s been fun. It’s a young man’s game, though.’’"

For Berger, being able to decide when he is done with football is a blessing. In today’s NFL, it is hard to stay in the league for an extended period of time. After watching former Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway make the decision to retire after the 2016 season, Berger hopes he can do the same.

"“Not everybody gets the opportunity in this game to walk away on their own,” Berger said. “So, for him to have a great career like he did, all (with the Vikings), to be able to step away on his own with his timing, if I were able to get that opportunity, that would be great.”"

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The Minnesota Vikings have been planning for the retirement of Berger. They have some talented players such as former Harvard center Nick Easton and recently drafted Pat Elflein from Ohio State. Still, Berger’s hard play and dedication to the game will be hard to replace if he does indeed retire after the 2017 season.