He’s now a Bronco and it’s weird. No doubt about it. Seeing Jamaal Charles come out of the tunnel tonight wearing a Broncos uniform will be very, very weird.
On the day that Jamaal is facing the KC Chiefs for the first time in his career, he wrote a letter to Kansas City in the Players Tribune.
Which is why, with my coming back here now as a Bronco, I wanted to take the time to write this for y’all. I wanted to tell you, straight up: It was a privilege to play at Arrowhead. That it was great raising my kids as Chiefs fans. And that we’re all going to be feeling some type of way when I play the Chiefs tonight in a different uniform.
At the end of the day, I wouldn’t change a single thing about the past nine years. I could go on and on about how grateful I am, or about what my old team means to me. But instead I’ll just say it like this: Football ends at some point. Family is forever.
Denver is my home now. And I’m embracing my new city — my new family — the same way I did Kansas City. I know I don’t have anything left to prove in this league, but I still have plenty left to play for. And I’m as excited as I’ve been in a long time for the next part of this story.
The whole piece is worth a read. Jamaal talked about the time he was a healthy scratch (Week 2 in the 2009 season) and learning from Larry Johnson. That hit me that he had been a Chief for a long time. Nine years is a long time and a lot changes in that time, especially in your 20s.
It was a privilege watching you, Jamaal.