Cris Carter

In spring of 2002, unable to find a contract to play with a team that suited him, Carter announced his retirement after 15 seasons with the NFL. Sad to leave the Vikings, he told Bob Sansevere of the Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service, "I never thought I'd come to this cold place [Minnesota] and feel sad I'm leaving."

Carter accepted an offer to work as an analyst on the HBO program "Inside the NFL." According to Alex Marvez of the Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service, Carter told reporters at an HBO media conference, "[My playing career] has been a tremendous ride, and that ride has come to an end. I wanted to play football, but I had to be in the right situation."

In October of 2002, Carter found the right situation. He came out of retirement to join the Miami Dolphins, whose performance had suffered after a series of wide receivers were injured; the team hoped he would improve their performance. Although he was hesitant to return to play, his friend and former Dolphins quarter-back Dan Marino helped convince him to sign a one-year contract. Marino worked with Carter on "Inside the NFL." In an article on Allsports.com, Carter said that Marino told him, "You just have to do it. You can still play." Carter admitted that he missed playing, and noted that HBO would still pay him even if he did sign with Miami.

Carter joined the team on October 21, and was paired with team members in practice so that he could learn the team's offense. Although some of his new teammates were initially upset because Carter was signed as a starter, not a backup, he got along well with them. In the Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service, player James McKnight Alex Marvez, "The camaraderie in this locker room is the best I've ever been around." Carter, who appreciated the help and advice that was given to him by veteran players when he began his career, was happy to tutor young players. "I just think you should help people out no matter what profession you are in," he explained to Marvez. "To me, it's a crime for athletes or anyone else that has a talent or a skill when they don't try to share some of that with other people."

Player Bernardo Harris of the Baltimore Ravens told Mike Berardino in the Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service, "Cris is coming in, and a lot of pressure is put on him because he's the veteran guy, he's the name guy. The expectations are going to be so high. If he doesn't do anything, it's a letdown. If he does anything, it's expected." And he added, "He came out of retirement to save the team."

Unfortunately, Carter's return was short-lived. On November 9, 2002, Carter was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with a kidney abnormality and was out of play for the rest of the season. His future in football was in doubt at the end of the 2002 season.

Carter told Sansevere that given the successes of his career, he expected to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame someday. "I look forward to that day," he said. "It's going to happen. Whenever it happens, I'll be overwhelmed with emotions."