Tag: Retirement

James Hurst retiring exacerbates Saints’ woeful offensive line

The Saints offensive line was already in rough shape before James Hurst called it a career. His absence exacerbates a bad situation:

It’s tough to think of a setup worse than the New Orleans Saints’ offensive line right now. Of last year’s five starters, only two are locks to return in their spots for 2024: Pro Bowl center Erik McCoy and right guard Cesar Ruiz.

Left tackle is undecided with the Saints expected to draft competition for Trevor Penning this weekend. Right tackle is an open wound with Ryan Ramczyk facing the very real possibility of a medical retirement. And left guard is now looking worse with James Hurst retiring from pro football.

The Saints need more reinforcements than they can afford with their current draft picks (just two selections inside this year’s top 100) and salary cap space (a little over $8 million). They need to find at least two starting-quality linemen, but three would do a lot to help build confidence in the group.

Look further into their depth chart and you’ll see names like Olisaemeka Udoh (who has played both tackle and guard under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak), Nick Saldiveri, Landon Young, Mark Evans II, and Tommy Kraemer. No disrespect to those guys but this group isn’t ready to handle 17 games and a playoff run.

Drafting a first-round offensive lineman isn’t enough to get them there, either. Picking a new starting right tackle (like, say, Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga) won’t cure what’s ailing them at left tackle or left guard. The Saints should continue to explore their options later in the draft and in free agency. There are starting-quality linemen still available with experience in the system New Orleans wants to run like Mekhi Becton (who has started at both left and right tackle) and Dalton Risner (a career left guard). They should really look at bringing back Andrus Peat at some point, too, if nothing else than to reinforce the depth chart.

They can patch some holes in the hull, but it feels like a certainty that the Saints will have to set sail with some concerning vulnerabilities and hope for the best. We’ll see how far hope takes them.

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Salary cap impact of James Hurst retiring with the Saints

What is the salary cap impact of James Hurst retiring with the New Orleans Saints? Previous moves set up a pretty clean break:

An already-difficult New Orleans Saints offensive line outlook got a little more complicated on Wednesday. Veteran left guard James Hurst announced his retirement after a decade in the NFL, opening a void next to an already-open spot at left tackle. But the Saints weren’t exactly caught by surprise, and the salary cap impact will be minimal.

This may have been broadcast earlier this offseason. Hurst agreed to a pay cut in March that lowered his cap hit from $6.5 million to just $2.97 million, giving up most of his base salary as well as some bonuses. Hurst told NewOrleans.Football’s Mike Triplett that he previously told the team about his intentions to retire, so that was all part of the plan. But what happens next now that he’s retiring?

It depends on how the Saints want to handle it. If they process Hurst’s retirement now, it’ll leave behind more than $2.2 million in dead money while saving just $688,000 against the cap. But if they wait until after June 1 to process his retirement then they’ll defer some of those dead money charges into 2025 while saving up to $1.21 million this year. That’s the same tactic they’ve taken with previous retirements for Drew Brees and Malcolm Jenkins.

Getting another $1.21 million in June would be helpful; the Saints are already expecting some returns for releasing Michael Thomas and Jameis Winston as post-June 1 cuts, and those salary cap resources can be used to sign rookie draft picks or bring in veteran free agents. It’s all part of the puzzle that Mickey Loomis and Khai Harley are putting together in the front office.

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Saints OL James Hurst retires after 10 seasons in the NFL

After 10 seasons in the NFL and four years with the New Orleans Saints, offensive lineman James Hurst has announced retirement:

https://www.instagram.com/p/C6Jx-rhROzO/?igsh=MTczNWdqZ2pqNGg0NA%3D%3D&img_index=1

The New Orleans Saints now have their first retirement of the offseason, with offensive lineman James Hurst announcing early Wednesday afternoon he will be ending his career in the NFL.

In a lengthy Instagram post, Hurst thanked many people for their support throughout his career.  He ended the thread with a thank-you to the sport itself, saying that it gave him the opportunity to compete with and against some of the best athletes on the planet, and allowed him to accomplish a childhood dream.

Hurst spent 10 seasons in the NFL, six of which were spent with the Baltimore Ravens (who signed him as an undrafted rookie out of North Carolina), and the last four with the Saints. He signed with New Orleans back in 2020, playing in 12 games before receiving a three-year extension the next offseason. He did also take a pay cut earlier this offseason, reducing his salary cap hit down to $2.97 million and making his retirement easier for the Saints’ accountants to manage.

This retirement leaves the Saints in a difficult situation on the eve of the 2024 draft, as they were already pretty weak along the offensive line. With Ryan Ramczyk dealing with a potential long-term recovery after knee surgery, the Saints are going to need to focus heavily on restocking the position in the draft. With Trevor Penning’s development seemingly not going as planned, Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz remain as the two starters with three gaps alongside them at this point. We will see how the Saints handle this, but as of right now it is certainly a tough spot to be in.

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Photos: LPGA’s Amy Olson announces retirement

“I knew that once I had kids I wanted to be home,” Olson told Golfweek. “That was a huge desire of my heart.”

Carly Gray Olson just started to crawl last week. Her first teeth came in, too. These are the sweet moments that take most of Amy Olson’s focus these days, which is why the LPGA veteran announced on social media Wednesday that she wouldn’t be coming back from maternity leave.

Olson’s last event was the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links, where she played seven months pregnant.

“I knew that once I had kids I wanted to be home,” Olson told Golfweek. “That was a huge desire of my heart.

“Even when (husband) Grant and I were dating, years ago, we talked about how I wanted to play for 10 years, that was my goal, and then I wanted to shift homeward and focus on family.”

Olson, 31, joined the LPGA in 2014 after winning an NCAA record-tying 20 titles at North Dakota State University, eclipsing the mark of 17 set by Juli Inkster.

Looking back, Olson said winning the 2009 U.S. Girls’ Junior gave her a huge confidence boost as did qualifying for the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open while in college and holding the first-round lead at The Broadmoor. The eventual winner that week, So Yeon Ryu, retired after last week’s Chevron Championship.

One of Olson’s favorite memories on the LPGA was clawing back from 6 over through 13 holes at the 2021 Kia Classic to finish tied for second.

Of course, she realizes that others will remember more painful runner-up finishes, like the 2018 Evian Championship, when she made double on the 72nd hole to lose to Angela Stanford.

Or when she was in contention at the 2020 U.S. Women’s Open in Houston and her father-in-law, Lee Olson, died from a heart attack the night before the final round. Olson finished second that year, too.

“Unfortunately, a couple of the pivotal ones of my career were actually really sad moments,” said Olson. “But I think one of the things I’ve always been most proud of is keeping golf in perspective and realizing that life is bigger than golf. In a lot of ways, some of those bigger moments that people remember me for, I was able to live that out in front of them.”

Olson said while there aren’t regrets in terms of what she could’ve done differently, there are dreams that will go unrealized as this chapter of life ends. She never played on a U.S. Solheim Cup team or won an LPGA event.

“I’ve had to come to terms with that,” said Olson, “I’m just realizing OK, that’s not part of my story, and realizing I have different dreams and bigger dreams, rather than clinging to the same ones that motivated me for a number of years.”

The bigger dreams, she said, are ordinary and small. Being a wife and a mom, being present for the milestones, passing on her perspective and deep faith to Carly.

She’ll have the gift of time.

Here’s a look at Olson’s career in pictures:

Chiefs DB Justin Reid hints at retirement in April Fools’ Day social media post

Justin Reid gave #Chiefs fans a scare on Monday when he hinted that he might retire in a post to social media on April Fools’ Day

The annual reminder to the world to always be a little skeptical of announcements and news circulating, better known as April Fools’ Day, hasn’t gone unnoticed by a key member of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Veteran defensive back and occasional placekicker Justin Reid gave Chiefs Kingdom a scare early Monday morning with a tweet indicating he was retiring.

The cryptic post was followed shortly by a GIF of Jim Carrey hiding. Reid extended his comedic post with a fun letter modeled after a parody social media account of former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck.

Reid is entering the last year of his contract with the Chiefs. He has been vital to the defense’s success in the previous two years, so his joke was more than a fun scare for many following his popular X account.

Jimmy Graham pens heartfelt speech to New Orleans in cryptic Instagram post

Jimmy Graham’s Instagram post to Saints fanns and the city of New Orleans had all the makings of a retirement speech without saying the words:

https://www.instagram.com/p/C5HMtzGOH9X/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

This might mean goodbye. Jimmy Graham did everything short of saying he was retiring in a recent Instagram post. The New Orleans Saints legend thanked Saints fans and penned a heartfelt message to the city and the team, which is customary when a player is leaving a team. Seeing that Graham is 37 and already spent a year away from football, this feels like an implied retirement. Graham is also preparing to row across the Arctic in July 2025, so stepping away from the game to prepare for that adventure seems logical.

After a seven-year hiatus, Graham returned to the team that drafted him back in 2010. It took the entire season to learn how to use him, but Graham excelled in his limited role once the Saints called his number. His 6 catches on the year all went for touchdowns or first downs. His impeccable effectiveness feels like a proper send off even though he didn’t even hit 100 yards receiving.

For clarification, Graham never said he was retiring. The message does feel eerily similar to a retirement speech. Maybe he left that out on purpose to keep us on our toes.

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Patriots standout special teamer officially retires from NFL

Special teams will look very different for the Patriots in 2024

Special teams for the New England Patriots is going to look completely different in 2024.

On Thursday, standout core special-teamer Cody Davis officially announced his retirement from the NFL. The veteran is moving on to the next chapter of his life after 11 seasons.

He spent the last four years with the Patriots as a full-time special teams player. During his run in New England, he took a total of 905 special teams snaps in the 3,013 he’s had throughout his career.

Prior to joining the Patriots, Davis spent time with the Los Angeles Rams and Jacksonville Jaguars. He released a series of tweets bidding farewell to the football journey in his life.

Davis’ retirement news comes on the heels of legendary special-teamer Matthew Slater calling an end to his football career as well. Veteran Myles Bryant signed with the Houston Texans, and the Patriots released Chris Board in free agency.

The unit will basically be starting over under newly-hired special teams coach Jeremy Springer.

Former Bills and Patriots RB Damein Harris announces retirement from the NFL

Former Alabama RB Damien Harris issues statement announcing NFL retirement

It’s both a happy and sad day as former Alabama running back [autotag]Damien Harris[/autotag] has announced his retirement from the NFL after five seasons. Harris was drafted in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft (No. 87 overall) to the New England Patriots where he spent the first four years of his career before signing a one-year deal with the Buffalo Bills ahead of the 2023 season.

Granted they call it the Not For Long League, but five years is a good run for a back in the NFL. Harris started 34 of 44 career games and posted 2,188 career yards, 21 touchdowns and a career 4.6 yards per carry. He only appeared in one Playoff game with the Patriots back in 2021 where he had just nine carries for 30 yards.

During his time with Alabama though, he was a really special player and leader as he helped bring two national titles back to Tuscaloosa. Harris was never the only true feature back as he had to split time with Bo Scarbrough and Josh Jacobs over the years, but was always incredibly reliable when No. 34 was called. I would not be shocked to see Harris working for ESPN or something of that nature in the near future as he is a very strong and fun personality.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Drew Brees says even retired quarterbacks are relieved by Aaron Donald’s retirement

Drew Brees says even retired quarterbacks are relieved by Aaron Donald’s big news. He wished his old rival well in retirement:

https://www.instagram.com/p/C4jF67YSNsp/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Even retired quarterbacks are happy to see Aaron Donald hanging up his cleats. Or at least that’s how Drew Brees feels. The legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback congratulated his old rival “on an unbelievable career” with the Los Angeles Rams, where Donald spent a decade sacking passers like Brees.

They went head-to-head five times, including the playoffs, with Brees’ Saints winning twice (and the less said of that playoff debacle, the better). Donald sacked Brees twice but hit the quarterback 11 times, including the infamous play that broke Brees’ throwing hand early in the 2019 season. Talk about a worthy opponent.

Ten years and ten Pro Bowls, with a Super Bowl championship to his name. Donald was the best defender in the sport during his time in the league and should be an easy choice for enshrinement at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 202, just a few years after Brees will have earned a bronze bust in 2026.

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Cowboys LB Leighton Vander Esch announces retirement

From @ToddBrock24f7: The six-year veteran suffered two serious neck injuries, the latest of which has forced him to walk away from the game at age 28.

The Cowboys’ true cowboy at linebacker for the past six seasons is riding off into the sunset.

Leighton Vander Esch has announced his retirement from the NFL, as first reported by ESPN’s Todd Archer. The 28-year-old was released by the team last week with a failed physical designation, the result of a serious neck injury that brought his 2023 campaign to an early end.

The injury came in a Week 5 loss to San Francisco, when 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams slung Vander Esch into Cowboys teammate Micah Parsons. The hit ultimately landed the former first-round draft pick on injured reserve. It would be his final play.

“I love the game of football so much, and my body won’t cooperate any longer,” Vander Esch said in a statement. “I cherished every moment of my NFL career, and it has been such a blessing to play the game for as long as I have played.”

Vander Esch had dealt with neck problems since his college days at Boise State. He missed a big chunk of the 2019 season before undergoing surgery in hopes of correcting the issue, a condition called cervical spinal stenosis. That first spinal fusion procedure came with the understanding that a second neck surgery would likely cost him his football career.

“Leighton is exactly the kind of player and person a coach feels very fortunate to have on their team,” said Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy. “His leadership, character, perseverance, dedication and will to win were all at the highest level, not to mention his ability to play the game. Leighton impacted our team beyond defense. He set a tone that served as an example for all of our players about how we want to play. Having a teammate like Leighton is something everyone on our staff and in our locker room valued greatly, and we’re going to miss him.”

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Known as “The Wolf Hunter,” Vander Esch ends his Cowboys career with 557 tackles in 71 regular-season game appearances. He tallied 3.5 sacks, five QB hits, and 13 tackles for loss, while adding 13 passes defended, three interceptions, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries (one of which he returned for his first career touchdown just last season in what would be his final full game).

As a rookie, Vander Esch was named to the Pro Bowl in 2018 and earned second-team All-Pro honors that same year.

“He was a leader and the kind of teammate that impacted those around him in the best ways,” said Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. “Leighton’s playing career may have come to an end, but his future is very bright. On behalf of the entire Dallas Cowboys organization, we’re proud that he wore the star on his helmet, we thank him and we wish all the best to Leighton, his wife, Madalynn, and their young daughter.”

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