Seahawks' Walter Jones says on his Twitter page that he's retiring

Maybe Walter Jones truly has decided to retire from the NFL as he indicated on his Twitter account on Sunday morning.

Or maybe Jones is once again teasing by Tweeting about his playing future as he has at least a couple of times before.

This time, though, Jones left no gray area with regard to his intentions when he posted that he had reached the conclusion "it is time for me to retire from football." The statement appeared on Jones' Twitter account about four hours before Sunday's Super Bowl began. His only subsequent post was to correct a typographical error.

But while Jones' statement on Twitter was straightforward, whether it constitutes a retirement announcement for one of the greatest players in Seahawks history is not nearly so clear.

Jones has a history of using Twitter to cast doubt on his future though he has never been this direct. There was also no other confirmation of Jones' intentions beyond the Twitter post.

Roosevelt Barnes, Jones' agent, was reached on the phone before the Super Bowl began and could not confirm any decision by Jones. He said he would call back if there was confirmation and did not return a subsequent message. Attempts to reach Jones directly were not successful.

The Seahawks had not been informed of any change in Jones' status, and by all accounts, Jones' most recent indications had been he would try to come back. Last week, new coach Pete Carroll said in a radio interview on KJR-AM that he had spoken to Jones, who still hoped to come back.

Jones has not played since suffering a left knee injury in Dallas on Thanksgiving 2008. He has undergone two knee surgeries since and missed 20 consecutive regular-season games. He underwent a microfracture surgery in 2008. He attempted to come back in training camp only to be sidelined with pain in his knee. He underwent an arthroscopic procedure in August, attempted to return in September but never made it back to the field.

His recovery is hampered by a kidney condition that was diagnosed when he first came to Seattle and prevents him from taking many anti-inflammatory medications.

Jones turned 36 in January and is a nine-time Pro Bowler. Jones and receiver Steve Largent are considered the two top players in franchise history, and in Mike Holmgren's final news conference as Seahawks coach, he said Jones was the best offensive player he had coached.

But Jones' future has been a question since the knee injury, and he first used Twitter to hint at his retirement during training camp in August. He made several posts about a big decision he was wrestling with only to reveal he was trying to decide what movie he would see, and ultimately settled on a Tyler Perry film.

Then in December, he said via Twitter that he had a "great run" in the NFL and "the Seahawks and fans hve (sic) been great to me." He later stated there was "no easy way" to give up something you've been doing for so long. But back in January, Jones was at the team's headquarters in Renton for the team's season-ending meeting, and he indicated then he still hoped to come back and play in 2010.

Jones remains under contract for the next three seasons though the third year is voidable by Jones. He is scheduled to make $7.3 million next season.

And while Jones indicated on Twitter he would be retiring, that's not necessarily the final word on the subject.

Danny O'Neil: 206-464-2364 or doneil@seattletimes.com