Former wide receiver Derrick Mason has repeatedly expressed his desire to retire as a member of the Baltimore Ravens.
It looks like he will have that chance on Monday as the organization announced a 3:00 p.m. press conference at its Owings Mills facility that will also include general manager Ozzie Newsome and coach John Harbaugh. While the official press release did not describe the nature of the press conference, Mason is expected to announce his retirement after signing a ceremonial one-day contract with the Ravens as other teams have done with revered players in the past.
In an interview with WNST.net’s Glenn Clark on AM 1570 last month, Mason talked about his preference to retire as a Raven after a disappointing 2011 season with the Jets and Texas in which he caught only 19 passes for 170 yards and no touchdowns. The veteran wideout was released by both teams and played in only 12 games.
Mason is the franchise’s all-time leader in receptions (471) and receiving yards (5,777) and second behind former tight end Todd Heap in receiving touchdowns (29). In his six years with the Ravens, Mason had four 1,000-yard receiving seasons and is the only player in team history to eclipse 100 receptions in a season when he caught 103 in 2007.
The 38-year-old played 15 professional seasons, his first eight with the Tennessee Titans before signing with the Ravens prior to the 2005 season.
