I was always suspect of Priest Holmes’ motives in attempting to comeback to the Chiefs this year. I thought the timing seemed weird…with Larry holding out…it just seemed like a stab at the limelight before fading away.

Now that Priest will be retiring because of a second neck injury, I can’t help but think that I was wrong to doubt him. And the really unfortunate thing is that I really wanted him to do well as the starter. Larry Johnson’s preening, crybaby nature was certainly off-putting, particularly for a guy who has averaged barely 3.5 yards per carry this season.

The return of Priest Holmes was like a breath of fresh air to the people of Kansas City. As doubtful as we were, Priest showed that he was for real – maybe not what he once was, but he put it out there and did his best to try and help the team. I salute him for that. Priest was one of the unlikeliest of heroes for this city – a guy who came out of obscurity and transformed himself into one of the league’s premiere running backs.

A few months back, Elizabeth Merrill wrote a great piece for ESPN that tried to get to the heart of Priest Holmes psyche and still left us wondering. I suppose that now we will continue to wonder what might have been had a ‘roided-up Shawne Merriman not hurt Holmes 2+ years ago in the first place. For now, we can tip our hats and say thanks to a guy who will go down as one of the best running backs in Chiefs history.

Thanks, Priest. We’ll miss you.