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Father Time remains undefeated, especially in a highly physical sport like American football. At some point in their careers, NFL players won’t perform like they did in their younger years. Their inability to compete at a high level forces them to retire from the game.
It’s a tough pill to swallow because football has been their life since they were kids. Unfortunately, the inevitable has come because their bodies cannot take the hits anymore. Here are the NFL players who decided to hang up their cleats for good during the 2024 offseason.
However, this list will focus on players who could have directly contributed to a fantasy football roster. Therefore, elite defenders like Aaron Donald, Shaquil Barrett, and Fletcher Cox are omitted. Likewise, offensive linemen like Ryan Jensen and Jason Kelce are also excluded.
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Players Who Announced Their Retirement Before Super Bowl LVIII
Since the list focuses on NFL players who retired this offseason, here are those who announced their retirement before Super Bowl LVIII.
Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater announced his retirement on Feb. 2, 2024. In 10 seasons, he played for six teams (Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, and Detroit Lions).
Bridgewater’s fellow quarterback, Sean Mannion, officially retired on Feb. 3 and became an offensive assistant for the Green Bay Packers. He played for the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Vikings, and Seattle Seahawks in nine NFL seasons.
Meanwhile, tight end Antony Auclair officially retired on Feb. 1. Throughout his five-year career (2017-2021), he played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Houston Texans.
Rex Burkhead announced his retirement on Feb. 5 after playing 10 NFL seasons. The running back from Nebraska won Super Bowl LIII with the New England Patriots and played for the Texans and the Cincinnati Bengals.
Tavon Austin
Former #Rams WR and West Virginia star Tavon Austin is retiring from the NFL. One of the most electric college football players of all time. pic.twitter.com/TscDlCrZeB
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 13, 2024
The wide receiver announced his retirement via an Instagram post on Aug. 13. The former first-round pick played five seasons with the Rams, two with the Dallas Cowboys, and one season each with the Packers and the Jacksonville Jaguars. While the Buffalo Bills signed him in 2022, he did not appear in a regular-season game. Austin finished his career with 223 catches and 197 rushing attempts for 3,376 yards from scrimmage and 25 touchdowns.
Tarik Cohen
#Jets’ RB/KR Tarik Cohen retired from the NFL.
Cohen, 29, was attempting to make a comeback after suffering knee and Achilles injuries.
Cohen is a 1x First-team All-Pro and 1x Pro-Bowler in 2018. pic.twitter.com/ZRfs41vPIe
— Football Forever (@fballforeverhq) August 1, 2024
Cohen announced his retirement on Aug. 1, three months after the New York Jets signed him to a one-year contract. The running back from North Carolina A&T hasn’t played an NFL game since 2020 when a torn ACL and MCL limited him to three games. Cohen was a first-team All-Pro return specialist in 2018 when he played for the Chicago Bears.
Pharoh Cooper
𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚: Pharoh Cooper has officially retired from the #NFL pic.twitter.com/xmBtQX75tm
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) June 10, 2024
The wide receiver/return specialist announced his retirement on June 10, two years after his last NFL game. In addition to his three stints with the Arizona Cardinals, he played for the Rams, the Bengals, and the New York Giants. He was a first-team All-Pro return specialist in 2017 with 1,331 return yards and a touchdown.
Kenyan Drake
Kenyan Drake announced his retirement on his Instagram today
The Miami Miracle wouldn’t have happened without Drake
Enjoy Retirement 🐬
pic.twitter.com/WyWwGY3BYi— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) July 19, 2024
Drake made his NFL retirement public on July 19. He played only three games during the 2023 season, two with the Baltimore Ravens and one with the Packers. The running back from Alabama played in eight seasons but never played a full schedule after 2018. Drake finished his career with 869 carries for 3,866 yards and 33 touchdowns in 105 games.
Nick Foles
Nick Foles announces his retirement from the NFL
One of the most important players in Eagles franchise history
His No. 9 hasn’t been worn since he left and might never be worn again
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) August 8, 2024
The one-time Pro Bowl quarterback announced his retirement on Aug. 8. Philadelphia Eagles fans will never forget him because he led the franchise to its first Super Bowl championship. Foles played for the Rams, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Jaguars, the Bears, and the Indianapolis Colts. Failing to sign with a team last year prompted his retirement.
Michael Gallup
Michael Gallup is retiring from the NFL at 28 years old.
His 2019-20 seasons were special: 1,950 yards with 11 TDs.pic.twitter.com/jC5eJr66zk
— DraftKings (@DraftKings) July 24, 2024
Gallup announced his retirement on July 23, three months after he signed a one-year contract with the Las Vegas Raiders. Therefore, he will end his career playing only for the Cowboys, the team that selected him in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Gallup had a 1,000-yard season in 2019, the same year he collected a career-high six touchdowns.
Damien Harris
Former Bills & Patriots RB Damien Harris has announced his retirement from the NFL.
- 472 Rushes
- 2,188 Yards
- 21 TDs
- 5 Seasons pic.twitter.com/xevIlmftNv— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) March 26, 2024
Harris announced his retirement via Instagram on March 25. He suffered a scare during his lone season with the Bills when his collision with linebacker Bobby Okereke led to a neck sprain that had him taken off the field in an ambulance. The running back retired after five NFL seasons, four of which he played for the Patriots.
Rashard Higgins
Guess who had one more Dawg Check! in him as Christian Kirksey and Rashard Higgins retired as #Browns today: pic.twitter.com/3K8YnFI9Va
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) April 16, 2024
Higgins shared his retirement from the NFL on April 15 after not playing in the league in 2023. The year before, he played only three games with the Panthers. The wide receiver from Colorado State played for the Cleveland Browns from 2016 to 2021 before signing with Carolina. Higgins had his best year in 2020, establishing career highs in yards (599) and touchdowns (four).
David Johnson
Former Cardinals RB David Johnson retired from the NFL today
He was special 🥹pic.twitter.com/VTbJUk3rbn
— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) May 19, 2024
Johnson announced his retirement on May 19 after playing eight NFL seasons. However, he was out of the league in 2023, which might have led to his decision. He became a first-team All-Pro member in 2016 after finishing with 2,118 yards from scrimmage and 20 touchdowns. The running back from Northern Iowa played for the Cardinals, the Texans, and the Saints.
Duke Johnson
Miami legend Duke Johnson has officially retired from the NFL. Johnson played high school ball at Miami Norland High, played college for the Miami Hurricanes, & then 2 years ago got to fulfill his lifelong dream of playing for the Miami Dolphins. Ride off into the sunset king🥹 pic.twitter.com/7IzDFVAh75
— King of Phinland🐬👑 (@KingOfPhinland) May 5, 2024
Randy “Duke” Johnson made his retirement public on May 5 after eight seasons in the league. Like David Johnson, he did not play in the NFL last year. While he was a running back, he had more receiving yards (2,870) than rushing yards (2,265). Johnson played for the Browns, the Texans, the Dolphins, and the Bills from 2015 to 2022.
DeVante Parker
After nine NFL seasons, Eagles WR DeVante Parker has decided to retire, he said Monday night.
As much as he looked forward to his time with the Eagles, Parker decided the time had come to spend more time with his family that includes his four children.
“I want to see my kids,… pic.twitter.com/enakIQc4LT
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 20, 2024
Parker announced his retirement on May 20, two months after he signed a one-year contract with the Eagles. Therefore, he ends his NFL career after nine seasons, playing the last two with the Patriots. The Dolphins selected him in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He recorded his only 1,000-yard season with Miami (1,202 yards, nine touchdowns in 2019).
Rashaad Penny
Rashaad Penny was so good when healthy.
That year with the Seahawks will never been forgotten.Retired at 28 years old… injuries suck. pic.twitter.com/7V9beYDqe1 https://t.co/lC6x0peHBO
— Seattle ON Tap (@SeattleONTap) July 30, 2024
While Penny signed a contract with the Panthers in May, the team confirmed his retirement after placing him on the reserve/retired list two months later. Injuries prevented him from living up to the hype of being a first-round draft pick, and he finished with 1,951 yards and 13 touchdowns in six seasons. Penny played his final year with the Eagles after spending the first five with the Seahawks.
Jalen Richard
Thank you Jalen Richard! Happy retirement. Once a Raider… #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/XN3bsy4zWm
— Shane (@ShanyeWest15) July 17, 2024
While Richard last played in the NFL in 2021, he officially announced his retirement on July 17. The running back from Southern Mississippi played his entire six-year career with the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders after being undrafted in 2016. Richard finished his NFL journey with 267 carries for 1,336 yards and four touchdowns in 89 games.
Matt Ryan
From: Matt Ryan
To: Atlanta pic.twitter.com/JWhkNqHzdY— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) April 22, 2024
While the former NFL Most Valuable Player took his final snap in 2022, he announced his retirement on April 22 and signed a one-day contract to retire as an Atlanta Falcons player. The third overall pick in the 2008 draft became a Falcons legend, especially after leading them to a Super Bowl appearance. Ryan has one All-Pro and four Pro Bowl selections in 15 seasons with the Falcons and the Colts.
Matthew Slater
"There isn't one guy in the locker room that doesn't look up to him."
From the son of a lineman, to a @patriots champion, All-Pro, and leader. 👏
Congrats on your retirement Matthew Slater! pic.twitter.com/z8f3eCultV
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) February 20, 2024
Slater was listed as a wide receiver throughout his 16-season career with the Patriots. However, he carved his niche as one of the best special teamers ever, garnering eight All-Pro and 10 Pro Bowl selections. The former UCLA standout announced his retirement on February 20, nine days after Super Bowl LVIII.
Darren Waller
“All the frustration dealing with injuries…I had guys like Tim Brown and Marcus Allen telling me I was going to be one of the best that ever played…”
Darren Waller talked about the frustrating injuries last few years that contributed to his decision to retire this summer: pic.twitter.com/7hyuR5Lo7j
— Ross Tucker Podcast (@RossTuckerPod) August 1, 2024
Waller made his retirement official on June 9 after playing eight NFL seasons. It would have been nine if he wasn’t suspended for the 2017 season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. He became a Pro Bowler in 2020 after leading the league in receptions (107) and establishing a career-high 1,196 receiving yards with the Las Vegas Raiders. The tight end from Georgia Tech also played for the Ravens and the Giants.
Derek Watt
Former Chargers Derek Watt has announced his retirement from the NFL pic.twitter.com/fEBJRcewP2
— James Ebo (@james_ebo) March 12, 2024
Watt shared his retirement via an Instagram post on March 12. The fullback didn’t play in 2023, which could have been his eighth NFL season. J.J. Watt’s younger brother played for the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers from 2016 to 2019 before reuniting with his other brother, T.J. Watt, in Pittsburgh. Derek Watt has 279 yards from scrimmage in seven seasons.
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