One of the questions asked of him was the following:

SI.com: If Detroit had considered trading you to a contender, a team that was a running back away from possibly winning a Super Bowl, would that have changed your mindset?

Sanders: It might have. Yeah, it definitely might have. I think it's always important to feel like you have a chance. That very well could have changed what happened and it may have delayed my decision a couple years. I think for me personally, looking back to that point, the Lions as a team had gone backwards and I felt like I was winding down my career and you realize that you can't be a winner overnight. So you start adding things up and all those things had something to do with it.

I am not saying teams should be forced to trade guys like Barry, but they should seriously consider letting these guys go via trade and finish on a winner in thier prime. Tony Gonzalez is a great example this season.

Maybe I'm wrong, but teams should consider the wishes of a long time player - specifically one that has played thier entire career with that team - towards the end of his career if that team is more than 2-3 years from contending. Sure they all think they can contend, but they should use some common sense.