DeMarcus Ware is officially done with football.

DeMarcus Ware Retiring After 12 NFL Seasons

The free agent and former Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker announced on Monday he is retiring at the age of 34 after 12 seasons in the NFL.

“After a lot of thought and prayer, I’ve decided to accept the unknown and retire from my NFL career,” Ware wrote on Twitter. “Tempting opportunities still present themselves for me to play and I feel better than I have in years. However, long term health and quality of life outweigh the spark and passion to play that I once had.

“With that, I take this opportunity to thank all of the people in my life who had a hand in molding me into a great player and the God fearing man I am today. I thank the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos for opportunities to experience what greatness feels like.”

Ware came to the Broncos as part of the free-agency binge in 2014 that also saw cornerback Aqib Talib, wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, and safety T.J. Ward signed. Ware ends his career with 138.5 sacks, eighth-most in NFL history.

Among all players with a minimum of 100 games played, Ware’s 0.78 sacks per game rank third behind only Reggie White’s 0.85 and Lawrence Taylor’s 0.79.

Ware, who was drafted by the Cowboys as a first-round pick (No. 11) out of Troy in 2005, was a nine-time Pro Bowl selection and four-time first-team All-Pro.

From 2006 to 2012, the linebacker led the league in average sacks with 14.7. Though his production decreased in his final years due to injuries, Ware helped lead Denver to the Super Bowl 50 title in 2016.

Ware was among the NFL players of his generation most respected by his teammates, coaches and opponents. He missed most of the 2016 offseason work with an infection in his back that required repeated IV antibiotics to treat. He also missed five games with a fracture forearm last season.

Linebacker Von Miller, the Super Bowl 50 MVP, said a big part of his rebound from his 2013 suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy to a perennial defensive player of the year candidate has “been because of DeMarcus. I have so many reasons to thank him.”

Ware needed one sack to tie newly minted Hall of Famer Jason Taylor and with four sacks he would have passed Michael Strahan and move into sixth place all-time.

SANTA CLARA, CA – FEBRUARY 07: DeMarcus Ware #94 of the Denver Broncos reacts while playing against the Carolina Panthers during Super Bowl 50 at Levi’s Stadium on February 7, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

DeMarcus Ware was one of several NFL players injured in a Week 2 game this weekend.

NFL Week 2 Injury Report: DeMarcus Ware To Have Surgery On Broken Arm, Danny Woodhead Tears ACL

The Denver Broncos outside linebacker suffered an ulna fracture near his elbow during his team’s 34-20 home victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

Ware, 34, cradled his arm as he walked to the sideline just one minute into the third quarter and was taken to the locker room. The play, an 11-yard scramble by Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, was nullified by  a holding penalty on Indianapolis tight end Jack Doyle. 

The veteran linebacker will undergo surgery to repair a broken bone in his right forearm, and will miss four to five weeks, Broncos coach Gary Kubiak told reporters.

Ware missed much of the team’s offseason program, all of training camp and did not play in any of the Broncos’ four preseason games because of back troubles. Denver made that move to try to get him to the regular season and planned to regulate his snap count during games to try to keep him healthy.

Ware had split a sack with fellow linebacker and Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller earlier in the game, thus putting himself in sole possession of ninth place in NFL history with 136.5 career sacks. He now has 19.5 quarterback takedowns in 28 regular-season games with the Broncos.

The Broncos will next travel to Cincinnati to play the Bengals on Sunday.

Other NFL injuries announced Monday include Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee. Coach Mike Zimmer told KFAN the news early Monday.

San Diego Chargers running back Danny Woodhead tore his ACL Sunday, the team announced. Woodhead is out for the season. Head coach Mike McCoy also said safety Jahleel Addae has a fractured left clavicle and had surgery Monday.

Meanwhile, New England Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo won’t start Thursday’s game against the Houston Texans due to a sprained AC joint, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported. The Patriots hope Garoppolo will return by Week 4.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Josh McCown is also out this week with a shoulder injury, and is week-to-week “from here on,” coach Hue Jackson told reporters. Rookie Cody Kessler is expected to start in place of McCown. Cleveland defensive end Carl Nassib, meanwhile, suffered a broken hand in the loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. Nassib is expected to have surgery. Offensive lineman Cameron Erving (pulmonary contusion), meanwhile, was released from the hospital on Monday morning, the team announced. He’s considered week-to-week.

New Orleans Saints corner P.J. Williams suffered a concussion after taking a knee to the head. Rapoport reported that it is believed Williams escaped without a spine injury. Coach Sean Payton announced the corner “will be coming back (Monday) afternoon” and “all the news is positive.”

SANTA CLARA, CA – FEBRUARY 07: DeMarcus Ware #94 of the Denver Broncos reacts while playing against the Carolina Panthers during Super Bowl 50 at Levi’s Stadium on February 7, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Denver Broncos linebacker DeMarcus Ware visited Thomas Jefferson High School in Denver to give the football team a Christmas surprise. The only catch was that, at first, no one knew who he was.

After going on a gift shopping spree, Ware disguised himself as Marcus Sacksmore, a transfer student from Dallas. But when he entered a team meeting in a full Jefferson uniform, no one recognized him. “When I first walked in the room, they looked at me like ‘man this guy’s going to steal my position,” Ware said. “But then I said ‘hold on, hold on, I understand it’s 66 jersey that’s throwing you guys off.”

Ware then removed his helmet and unveiled his bright orange number 94 Broncos jersey. He then gave the team plenty of new gear, before signing autographs and taking pictures with the players.

“We’ve really faced a lot of difficult budget cuts,” said Jefferson athletic director Andrew Skari. “This is just really incredibly and really generous of DeMarcus and the Denver Broncos to help us.”

Photo: Outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware #94 of the Denver Broncos defends against the Minnesota Vikings at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on October 4, 2015 in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos defeated the Vikings 23-20. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)