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Sadly, the National Football League saw a trio of star fantasy running backs retire over the offseason. Matt Forte, Danny Woodhead, and DeMarco Murray all hung up the cleats after amassing multiple RB1 seasons between them.
For an in-depth look at the decorated career of Forte, be sure to check out my colleague Brady Grove's excellent fantasy eulogy.
Here, we will take a look at the all-too-short, but impressive career of DeMarco Murray and appreciate all that he did for fantasy owners over that span. While he may be gone from fantasy draft boards, he will not be forgotten from the memories of those who won a championship back in 2014 thanks to his prodigious season. Let us now remember Mr. Murray for all he did for fantasy owners.
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The Fire That Burns Brightest Retires Earliest
Murray enjoyed seven years in the NFL, split between the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, and Tennessee Titans. When the former third-round draft pick was released by the Titans in March, it was initially assumed he would catch on with another team. Several teams reportedly had interest in procuring Murray's services for the upcoming season and he spoke with a few of them during the offseason but never formally tried out anywhere. Murray eventually announced his official retirement from the NFL on July 13.
The three-time Pro Bowler will be best remembered for his four-year tenure with the Cowboys, the team that drafted him in 2011. Murray struggled with injuries throughout his first three years in the league but he still flashed glimpses of what he could be if he could stay healthy. Finally, he managed to play in all 16 games in the 2014 season. And, oh what a glorious season it was for Murray. The former Oklahoma Sooner set career highs across the board, handling an impressive 392 carries for an NFL-leading 1,845 yards and 13 touchdowns while adding another 57 receptions for 416 yards. Murray's 2,261 yards from scrimmage that season ranks 13th all-time in the NFL. DeMarco was one of the signature fantasy league-winners of the 2014 season, powering many owners to an elusive fantasy championship.
There are some who surmise that the Cowboys never intended to re-sign Murray, a free agent after the 2014 season, which was why they gave him such a heavy workload and then sent him on his way. Either way, Murray signed with the Philadelphia Eagles for the 2015 season in what turned out to be the worst year of his career. A poor fit for then-coach Chip Kelly's offense, Murray saw just 193 carries, despite playing in 15 games for the Eagles. He posted just 702 rushing yards, tying a career-low with just a 3.6 yards per carry average. The marriage with the Eagles was, fortunately, a short one as the team cut Murray loose after just one season in the City of Brotherly Love.
The Tennessee Titans were more than happy to scoop Murray up in free agency, installing him as their lead back heading into the 2016 season. Murray returned to form, posting one final RB1 season for his fantasy owners. The All-Pro carried the ball 293 times for 1,287 yards and nine touchdowns, all the while holding off upstart rookie Derrick Henry, who many pundits were clamoring for the team to utilize more. In 2017, Murray's final season, he was unable to recapture the magic from the previous year. Playing injured for much of the season, Murray saw just 184 carries, his least since 2012 when he played in just 10 games, while losing a large chunk of early-down work to Henry. He did retain some value in the passing game, hauling in 39 passes for 266 yards, but even those numbers were his worst since the aforementioned 2012 campaign. Murray finishes his seven NFL seasons with 7,174 rushing yards, 49 touchdowns, 307 receptions, and 2,165 receiving yards.
Murray's skills running the ball will not be soon forgotten, especially for the fantasy owners who had him in 2014 when he was a league-winner. Despite him having several excellent seasons on his resume, Murray was often overshadowed by many other running backs in his era, as he had to share the spotlight with NFL luminaries such as Jamaal Charles, Adrian Peterson, Maurice Jones-Drew, and Chris Johnson. Perhaps the most underappreciated aspect of Murray's game was just how great he was as a pass-catcher. The star averaged 43.8 receptions and 309.2 receiving yards per season over his career, operating as a true dual threat out of the backfield.
There has been some speculation that Murray may unretire if the right opportunity arises in training camp, but if this is it, so long to a runner who turned in one of the best single seasons for a running back in recent memory. So DeMarco, we salute you and your contributions to fantasy teams across the land over the past seven seasons.
