Jets OL Cameron Clark retiring due to risk of paralysis

Jets OL Cameron Clark is retiring after doctors told him he would risk paralysis if he continued to play football after a spinal cord injury.

Cameron Clark’s NFL career has come to an end.

The Jets’ 2020 fourth-round pick is retiring from football at the age of 24, his agent told ESPN’s Rich Cimini. Clark faces an increased risk of paralysis after suffering a spinal cord injury last August. Clark missed the entire 2021 season.

“Based on the advice of Dr. Andrew Hecht, a prominent orthopedic surgeon at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York, Cameron will not be able to continue to play football for the New York Jets,” Clark’s agent, Alan Herman, told ESPN.

Clark was taken to the hospital after the injury occurred on August 3 during 11-on-11 drills at a Jets practice. Robert Saleh cut practice short after the offensive lineman remained motionless for a few minutes following the injury. The Jets weren’t able to provide a timeline for Clark’s potential return, but called the injury a spinal-cord contusion at the time. Saleh briefly mentioned Clark was “coming along fine” in November.

Clark didn’t play as a rookie, either, after suffering a shoulder injury early in 2020.

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