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After seven years in the NFL, Marion Barber is hanging up his cleats.

Barber has decided to retire from the NFL, the Chicago Bears announced today.

“I want to thank everyone who helped me become a better player,” Barber told ChicagoBears.com. “I owe a lot to a lot of coaches, and am also very grateful to the owners and organizations I played for. Last but not least, I want to thank the fans for the support and inspiration they gave me.”

A 2005 fourth-round draft pick of the Cowboys, Barber was, at his best, an explosive and powerful runner with a nose for the end zone. In 2007 he carried 204 times for 975 yards and 10 touchdowns and was chosen to the Pro Bowl.

After six seasons with the Cowboys, Barber went to Chicago in 2011. His best statistical game came at Denver, when he carried 27 times for 108 yards and a touchdown and also caught two passes for 32 yards. Unfortunately, Barber’s final season will be best remembered for two crucial mistakes he made in that game: He lost a fumble on one play, ran out of bounds while the Bears were trying to run out the clock on another, and paved the way for Tim Tebow to engineer a comeback as the Broncos won 13-10 in overtime.

Barber finishes his career with 1,156 carries for 4,780 yards and 53 touchdowns.