Former Jets guard Alan Faneca has decided to retire after one season in Arizona.
"From the dog days of training camp to winning a Super Bowl the memories are endless," Faneca said in a statement, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
"The greatest memory that I will leave the game with is all of the lifelong friendships I have made."
Faneca was a Jet in 2008 and 2009. His solid play and leadership on the line should always be appreciated. D'Brickashaw Ferguson started to flourish from a disappointment into a Pro Bowler once he started playing next to Faneca.
This is also noteworthy for another reason. Faneca's play deteriorated in 2010 with the Cardinals. Many asked legitimate questions about the Jets letting him go and running with an inexperienced Matt Slauson at guard. The front office was vindicated, though, in the same way Mike Devito vindicated it on the defensive side of the ball. It allows us to give Mike Tannenbaum and company some benefit of the doubt when making controversial decisions, at least until the brain trust misses.