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Well. ... Apparently he meant it. According to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, teams have been told that Cardinals free-agent running back Rashard Mendenhall is retiring.

Mendenhall hinted at as much in a Feb. 25 column he wrote for the Huffington Post when he said, "As I write this, today is the day that the journey is over and I am fully at peace. Eagerly looking to a new way, which lies ahead."

The 26-year-old Mendenhall was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2008 draft. In six NFL seasons, Mendenhall rushed for 4,236 yards and scored 39 total touchdowns.

After last season ended, Mendenhall told head coach Bruce Arians he wanted to write books and do different things than play football.

As Darren Urban of the team’s official website noted when the Huffington Post column was published, it’s not exactly the kind of thing you expect to hear from a soon-to-be free agent, at least not one who is 26 years old. That said, Mendenhall is coming off a season in which he gained 687 yards on 217 carries, a sub-par 3.2 yards a carry.

Some fantasy owners would suggest he's checked out for the most part already. But the former Steeler scored eight touchdowns while fighting through knee and toe injuries and he had a big backer in Arians.

The Cardinals were already planning for Mendenhall's departure as a free agent. Arians told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine last month that he plans to make Andre Ellington a focal point of the Cardinals offense.

Ellington displayed explosiveness, elusiveness and speed during his rookie season. Arians maintained throughout the season that the rookie was too slight of build to be a workhorse.

But addressing the media at the combine, Arians said Ellington already added 10 pounds during offseason work. He then changed his tune on the running back.

"We want to build our offense around him," Arians said of Ellington.

Fantasy owners would agree that building an offense that keys on Ellington makes sense as he is the most dynamic runner on the roster. But does that mean he will get 25 carries a game?

During his combine press appearance, general manager Steve Keim offered praise for Stepfan Taylor's pass protection and ability to run between the tackles during his rookie season.

Keim said the team has "big expectations" for Taylor in 2014. Keim said the team planned to use a "platoon of backs," mainly because of Ellington's build. ...

So assuming both men are right, let's go with Ellington as leader of the committee until we see otherwise.

And we'll take the news of Mendenhall's retirement as the truth until we hear otherwise.