DeMarcus Ware appears ready to hang up his cleats.

The Broncos' veteran linebacker, who was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, is likely to retire this offseason due to "neck and back issues," reports NFL personality Mike Fisher.

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Fisher has long covered the Dallas Cowboys, so it's absolutely plausible that he's plugged into Ware's thinking. And, all things considered, it makes sense.

Ware, 34, has been reduced to a bit role at this stage in his career, with his body beginning to break down. He missed 2016 Organized Team Activities and parts of training camp with a major back injury, and a broken forearm kept him out of several regular season games.

His creaky back recently acted up, prompting Denver to end his season one game early.

Ware will be an unrestricted free agent in 2017 and has said he'd like to play another year. It's possible, but not probable, that he's re-signed by the Broncos, who have young pass-rushers Shane Ray and Shaquil Barrett waiting in the wings, opposite superstar Von Miller.

Ware has accumulated 138.5 sacks across a Hall of Fame-caliber 12-year career, which included an eight-year stint in Dallas. He's notched four sacks this season, moving into eighth-place on the NFL's all-time sacks list.