[Kansas City.com] In a surprising and somewhat strange move, wide receiver Derrick Alexander signed a contract with the Chiefs on Friday so that he could retire as a member of the team.

“We’re pleased and proud that Derrick requested that he retire from the NFL as a member of the Chiefs,” club president Carl Peterson commented. “Derrick was a very productive receiver for this franchise. We are just as pleased that he and his family have made Kansas City their home.”

Alexander, who has not played football since 2002 when he played for the Minnesota Vikings, had 417 receptions for 6,971 yards and 40 touchdowns during his nine-year NFL career.

Alexander entered the league as a first-round pick of the Cleveland Browns in 1994 and played two seasons there before moving on to Baltimore. After two seasons with the Ravens, Alexander joined the Chiefs as an unrestritcted free agent in 1998.

Alexander spent four seasons with the Chiefs and appeared in 60 games. He was among the most productive pass catchers in franchise history, catching 213 passes for 3,685 yards and 19 touchdowns.

His best season came in 2000, when he caught 78 passes and set a franchise single-season record with 1,391 receiving yards.

After four seasons in Kansas City, Alexander signed with the Minnesota Vikings for the 2002 season where he appeared in only eight games.

Alexander currently serves as the owner of “Geeks on Call,” a mobile computer repair and service franchise in Kansas City.