NFL's Sign-and-Retire Club

The last active member of the old Los Angeles Rams, Bruce was traded back to the Rams on June 7, 2010 so that the could retire with the franchise that drafted him in 1994. Bruce caught 921 passes, including 81 touchdowns, in 13 seasons with the Rams. Here are some other prominent players who signed one-day contracts so that they could retire with their old teams.

Tyree retired from the Giants the holder of arguably the most memorable moment in franchise history. Tyree caught three passes in Super Bowl XLII. The first was a touchdown, and the last was the famous leap and acrobatic haul over Patriots safety Rodney Harrison. The catch eventually helped lead the Giants to a late score and one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history, as they defeated the Patriots 17-14. He did a sign-and-retire in July 2010.

Hilliard spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Giants, and on July 30 returned to the team on a one-day contract to retire. In 12 NFL seasons, Hilliard caught 546 passes for 6,397 yards and 35 touchdowns, including 368 catches with the Giants. He battled injuries throughout his career, from a nagging toe injury for much of his career with New York to a brutal concussion in his later years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Glenn, on July 28, became the first player to sign a one-day contract to retire with the Texans. A 5-foot-9 cornerback, he was the third player selected in Houston's 2002 expansion draft upon the franchise's entry into the NFL. He made one of his three trips to the Pro Bowl in the Texans' inaugural season and started 43 games in three seasons with Houston.

Thomas spent 12 seasons in Miami before playing one year with Dallas and participating in Kansas City's training camp the following season. He recorded 1,038 tackles with the Dolphins, becoming one of the faces of the franchise along the way. He did a sign-and-retire in May 2010.

Elam is the record-holder for most games played with the Broncos franchise at 236. In his 15 seasons with Denver, the kicker scored a point in every game he played. His sign-and-retire came in March 2010.

Known for being one of the most dominant offensive linemen in his time in the NFL, Allen played with the Cowboys from 1994 to 2005 and was selected to 10 consecutive Pro Bowls. His sign-and-retire was held in August 2008.

Following two seasons with rival Washington, Armstead returned in June 2007 to the team that drafted him in 1993 to retire. He had 100-plus tackles in five straight seasons with the Giants.

After stints with Oakland and Seattle, the legendary 49ers receiver came back to the franchise for a one-day, $1,985,806.49 contract in August 2006. The sum was ceremonial, representing Rice's first year in the league (1985), uniform number (80), the current year ('06) and the 49ers (49).

Brown ruffled feathers in the Oakland organization when he chose to play a season with Tampa Bay instead of retire. When he finally did his sign-and-retire in July 2005, Raiders owner Al Davis was not at the news conference.

Smith went to Arizona for two seasons before retiring in February 2005 with Dallas, holding a press conference three days before the Super Bowl. Smith became the NFL's all-time leading rusher in 2002 while with the Cowboys.

Buffalo caused a stir amongst its fan base when it released Thomas along with defensive end Bruce Smith and wide receiver Andre Reed before the 2000 season. Smith, the Bills' all-time leading rusher, returned to the team in February 2001 to retire after a season with rival Miami.

The Redskins have graced a few of their former stars with ceremonial retirements, including kickoff returner Brian Mitchell and wide receiver Leslie Shepherd. But none were bigger than Monk, who helped Washington win three Super Bowls in four appearances and retired as a Redskin in July 1997. Who would you add to the list? Send comments to siwriters@simail.com.