Barrett’s retirement come after the Bucs released him in March. He then signed a one-year contract with the Miami Dolphins, but the pass rusher’s snaps in Tampa Bay appear to be his last in the NFL.
The Bucs signed Barrett in 2019, desperate for pass rush off the edge. The former Denver Bronco delivered and then some. Barrett led the NFL with 19.5 sacks in 2019, the most sacks ever recorded by a Buccaneer.
Over his five seasons in Tampa Bay, Barrett was the Bucs’ premiere pass rusher. He recorded 45 sacks, 22 more than the next closest player. A torn Achilles in 2022 slowed his production and may have contributed to his retirement.
Barrett was an instrumental piece of the Bucs’ 2020 Super Bowl team, leading the team in sacks (4) during the playoffs. His legendary 2019 season set a record that future Bucs players will aspire to reach but few will attain.
As observed by NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, Ramczyk is a vested veteran (someone who has earned earned three or more credited seasons), and those vested veterans who have been placed on the reserve/PUP list before roster cuts on Aug. 27 are ineligible to play this season. His year is over.
It’s possible that Ramczyk could bounce back after taking a year off, but he’s struggled to manage a degenerative knee condition and that’s unlikely to improve with time. At this point all he can realistically do is shed weight like many offensive linemen do after their playing careers are over, and formally file his retirement papers once the Saints are in a position to absorb it on the salary cap.
If this is it for Ramczyk, it’s a career he can be proud of. He only played a single season of Division I football in college before turning pro, having started at left tackle for Wisconsin after trying his hand at welding school, only to unexpectedly take over for an injured Zach Strief at right tackle during his first game as a rookie. Ramczyk immediately established himself as a top-five right tackle in the league and won three All-Pro nods in his seven-year career, starting every game he played. Few players retire without regrets, but Ramczyk got much closer than most. We’ll wish him well for whatever’s next.
There isn’t an active player using the No. 54 jersey, so Super Bowl XLIV champion Scott Fujita is the New Orleans Saints Player of Day 54:
We’re counting down the days until the New Orleans Saints’ regular season opener by highlighting a Player of the Day every day, but there isn’t an active player using the No. 54 jersey. And there aren’t many notable players in team history who have worn it — no Pro Bowlers or All-Pros, and the member of the Saints’ Super Bowl XLIV-winning team who used it, Troy Evans, was a backup.
So we’re cheating a little and going with an old fan-favorite. Scott Fujita (who wore No. 55) is our pick for the New Orleans Saints Player of Day 54.
Fujita played college football at California, and he grew up six hours’ drive down the West Coast in Ventura, near Los Angeles. The Kansas City Chiefs picked him in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL draft and it didn’t take long for him to win a starting job. He spent the 2005 season with the Dallas Cowboys and the experience of working against him in practice every day convinced Sean Payton (the Cowboys’ offensive play caller at the time) to sign him as a free agent the next spring.
And that’s when Fujita’s career really took off. He was a key piece of the changing locker room culture that Payton installed in New Orleans, starting 54 of the 56 games he appeared in over the next four years — plus three playoff games in 2009, including Super Bowl XLIV. Fujita was an impressive tag-team partner for Jonathan Vilma at the second level of the Saints defense, and he quickly endeared himself to Saints fans.
He spent the last three years of his playing career with the Cleveland Browns, but Fujita retired a Saint — and he did so memorably, perched on top of a mountain in South America back in 2013. He’s remained close with his old teammate Steve Gleason over the years and helped Gleason hike the Andes to visit the famous ruins of Machu Picchu, where he formally signed his one-day retirement contract with the Saints and shared an emotional speech to his supporters.
Few players have done the black and gold prouder. Fujita left his mark on New Orleans and the Saints, and it’s a great thing that his time with the team was as meaningful for him as it was for those cheering him on.
#Chiefs legend Jamaal Charles opened up about his struggles with mental health during his post-football career. | @EdEastonJr
Many NFL stars’ playing careers don’t always transition smoothly once they leave the field. Kansas City Chiefs running back great Jamaal Charles was one of the best in the league during his career but is still trying to transition into life after the gridiron.
The Chiefs legend appeared as a guest on the Second Acts Podcast, to discuss his life after retiring from football and the challenges he’s endured along the way.
“I basically went into a dark side,” Charles said. “No one came forward to guide me through the transition to life after football. I went to work with investment people, and it didn’t go well. I started losing money, so I started becoming very depressed and suicidal. Still trying to find my way going through that situation and transition. It was hard for me because I didn’t know who to lean on or where the help was coming from.”
Charles was a two-time first-team All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowl selection during his tenure with the Chiefs. He still holds the franchise’s all-time rushing record as he retired as a team member on an honorary one-day contract in 2019.
“At that time, I had therapy, so there’s nothing wrong,” Charles said. “I talked to a therapist to talk about suicidal thoughts, talk about the hard times. At the time, I was still in therapy, and I still am today.”
The former star running back continues to be a proud ambassador for the team at events, providing positive energy to fans.
Nelson spent the past two seasons with the Houston Texans and played a key role in their worst-to-first turnaround last season. Nelson, 31, played so well that multiple teams had interest in signing him this offseason.
Wilson said the Texans, Raiders, Commanders, Giants, Rams, and Dolphins all showed interest in Nelson this offseason. Perhaps Nelson was tired of waiting and didn’t want to spend any more time waiting on a contract offer or dealing with the grind of another training camp.
Nelson said he’s proud of his football legacy.
“Retirement, after thinking it over and having some talks with my family, I think it’s time for me to take a step back and spend more time with my family,” Nelson said in a telephone interview. “We’re expecting a newborn this coming month, and I wanted to devote all of my time and energy to that and various business ventures off the field. I’m extremely proud of what I was able to do in the game of football.”
A third-round pick by the Chiefs in the 2015 NFL draft, Nelson spent four seasons in Kansas City, two with the Pittsburgh Steelers, one with the Philadelphia Eagles and the final two years with the Texans.
“Coming from a small town without a lot of resources, having to go to junior college, making it out of there to go to Oregon State, which was across the country from my family, going through a lot of trials and tribulations to get to where I am today and to be able to persevere and make it this far. I’m extremely proud of my legacy and my career.”
Nelson played in every game for Houston last season and has only missed five games over the past six seasons.
Does Washington’s interest in Nelson mean the team isn’t done looking for cornerback help? Had the Commanders signed Nelson, he would’ve immediately jumped to the front of the line as a contender to start. Washington signed multiple veteran cornerbacks this offseason, with Michael Davis expected to start opposite Benjamin St-Juste. The Commanders hope 2023 first-round pick Emmanuel Forbes is helped by the new coaching staff and emerges in 2024.
Former Kansas City #Chiefs DB Steven Nelson announced his retirement after nine seasons in the NFL. | @EdEastonJr
The Kansas City Chiefs have earned plenty of respect over the last few seasons for their Super Bowl titles and unrivaled success. Many players have helped build the foundation for the current success that just missed out.
Veteran NFL cornerback and former Chiefs starter Steven Nelson announced his retirement from the league on Sunday.
“Retirement, after thinking it over and having some talks with my family, I think it’s time for me to take a step back and spend more time with my family,” said Nelson during a phone interview with KPRC 2 in Houston. The 31-year-old has decided to call it a career after nine seasons.
In the 2015 draft class out of Oregon State, Nelson was the 14th cornerback selected, eventually going in the third round to Kansas City. During the first four seasons of his career, he played for the Chiefs, often as a starter in 38 of his 52 games. He tallied four interceptions and 182 tackles before leaving in free agency before the 2019 season.
“I think I’ll be remembered, mostly by my teammates, the guys that I played with and put in a lot of blood, sweat, and tears with. as a leader and somebody that not only tries to lead by words but through my actions,” said Nelson. “Being a true pro and doing everything the right way.”
Nelson made stops with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles, and the last two seasons with the Houston Texans. In 130 career games with 115 starts, he recorded 13 career interceptions, 87 passes defensed, two forced fumbles, one sack, and 456 total tackles.
The former Bears preseason legend is hanging up his cleats.
A former Chicago Bears running back is calling it quits when it comes to his football career. On Monday, Ryan Nall announced on social media that he was retiring from the game of football. “You never think it’s time until it is. I’m retiring from the game of football,” he said in a post on X/Twitter. “Thank you all for the love and support over the years.”
You never think it’s time until it is. I’m retiring from the game of football. Thank you all for the love and support over the years🙌 pic.twitter.com/JpcKZr2bNQ
Nall had plenty of that support when he was a member of the Bears. He was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Oregon State in 2018 and quickly became a fan favorite during the preseason. In his rookie year, Nall rushed for 223 yards and one touchdown during the preseason and stuck around on the practice squad for the season.
The 2019 preseason was much of the same for Nall. He totaled 135 rushing yards in four games, including a 70-yard run against the Colts. It was plays like those that endeared him to Bears fans and made coaches keep him around. Those plays eventually paid off for Nall.
From 2019 to 2021, Nall saw action during the regular season, becoming a staple on special teams and as a reserve running back. His best career game came in 2020, when he rushed four times for 35 yards and a touchdown in a 17-24 loss against the Tennessee Titans.
Nall never played another down in the NFL after the 2021 season. He signed with the Cowboys in the 2022 offseason but didn’t make the team. Then, in 2024, he signed with the Houston Roughnecks of the United Football League but was released before the season started.
Though he never made much of an impact in the regular season, Nall will go down as one of the more notable preseason standouts the Bears have had over the last 20 years.
After 20 seasons in the NFL, a torn labrum and a dislocated shoulder, Saints legend Drew Brees only throws left-handed in retirement:
New Orleans Saints legend Drew Brees had a tumultuous early career in the NFL, specifically at the end of his tenure with the then-San Diego Chargers, when he tore his labrum and dislocated his shoulder in his throwing arm.
This was ultimately what led to him becoming a free agent and being available for the Saints, however, it was also what slowed him down later in his career. Brees spoke with the media during a press conference for his Saints Hall of Fame selection, admitting that he would have played another three years in the NFL.
Injury on top of the general wear and tear of a 20-year pro career has led Brees to throw left-handed in retirement when playing catch with his kids. He boasted that he can now throw up to 30 yards left-handed, so it isn’t like he feels hobbled when tossing a ball around the backyard. While it is unfortunate to know that his career did come to a halt because of that injury among others, as well as him having to throw left-handed, it is good to see him enjoying his retirement with his family.
After doctors initially warned that Brees may never throw a football again, way back when he initially injured it during his last game with the Chargers, the knowledge that he was able to play many more years and become as successful as he was during that time makes it all the more impressive. Here’s to a retirement with more time for his family and much more recognition for his achievements on the field.
Thompson, who has battled a hand injury for some time, has won 11 times on the LPGA.
LANCASTER, Pa. — Lexi Thompson told herself she wasn’t going to cry. But her voice cracked right as she began to talk about the loneliness of tour life. Not that she wants a pity party, by any means. But as the 29-year-old talked about the decision to retire from full-time golf at the end of the 2024 season, she wanted to reiterate the human element of the game. Words hurt. And she was proud to have overcome some brutally tough moments.
“I just think, especially with what’s happened in golf, as of recent too,” she said, “a lot of people don’t — they don’t realize a lot of what we go through as a professional athlete. … I might not have a huge friend group, but to have the people that matter the most around me has gotten me through some really hard times.”
Thompson’s retirement announcement came on Tuesday at the 79th U.S. Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club, where Thompson will make her 18th start in the championship. Her history with the Women’s Open began in 2007 at Pine Needles, when the prodigious 12-year-old became the youngest to ever compete. Though she’s never won the U.S. Women’s Open, this is where it all started, and she found it a fitting place to break the news.
“I feel like I’m very content with where my life is and where this decision will lead me to,” said Thompson. “I’m just looking forward to what life has in store other than golf.”
Thompson won her first LPGA title at age 16, setting a record that was later broken by a 15-year-old Lydia Ko. Her 11 wins on the LPGA include the 2014 Chevron Championship, her only major. Her last victory on the LPGA came at the 2019 Shoprite LPGA Classic.
Though she had battled a hand injury for some time, she downplayed it on Tuesday, noting that she’s now able to swing without any pain and has plenty of goals left for this season, which no doubt include a seventh U.S. Solheim Cup team appearance.
As for what’s next, Thompson didn’t rule out playing in more LPGA events beyond this year, saying she’ll take it day by day. She hopes to launch a fitness app soon and one day start a family.
“Golf has been my life ever since I was 5 years old, tournaments when I was 7,” she said. “I haven’t really known much of a life different, but it’s been an amazing one.”
While there have been plenty of high points over the course of her 13 seasons on tour, Thompson’s heartache has been particularly piercing, most notably the 2017 ANA Inspiration when she was informed of a four-stroke penalty while on the back nine Sunday for improperly replacing her ball earlier in the week and then signing an incorrect scorecard. Thompson, who was leading the tournament at the time, eventually lost in a playoff to So Yeon Ryu, but the crowd at Mission Hills Country Club was quite loudly on her side.
Lexi Thompson plays her shot from the fifth tee during the final round of the U.S. Women’s Open golf tournament at The Olympic Club. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
There have been heartbreaks at other majors, too. Falling apart down the stretch at The Olympic Club at the USWO three years ago when she had a five-stroke lead was particularly brutal, and then another close call came in 2022 at Congressional at the KPMG Women’s PGA where, playing in the last group, she squandered a two-stroke lead with three holes to play and was promptly hit with a slow-play fine.
But the loss seven years ago at Mission Hills, her favorite tour stop, was undoubtedly the toughest. Fans chanted Thompson’s name down the stretch and through tears, she stayed to sign autographs for all the young fans who wanted to be just like her. The USGA ultimately changed the Rules of Golf after that four-stroke fiasco, but the damage had been done, and the accusations of cheating cut deep.
Thompson took a break from social media from time to time to cut out the noise. Amy Olson, a veteran player who announced who own retirement earlier this season, noted several years ago that Thompson endured more than most in her comment sections.
“I looked at the comments that have been on Lexi’s posts,” Olson once said. “It’s horrible. She can’t post anything. If she posts her putting, it’s ‘You should be working on your swing.’ If she’s in the gym, ‘You should be practicing.’ If she’s on the beach, ‘You should play more.’ There’s always something to criticize.”
Thompson now views the 2017 loss at ANA as both the hardest moment of her career and the biggest blessing. She looks back on it now as a moment of growth and a chance to gain new fans. It still hurts enough to elicit tears even now, but there was still a hint of peace about what transpired. She can at least see some good in it now.
It’s hard to imagine that anyone on tour has bounced back from more than Thompson. Just last season, after missing eight cuts in 11 starts, she flipped a switch in time for the Solheim Cup in Spain and went on to hold her own at a PGA Tour event in Vegas.
“I think we all have our own struggles, especially out here,” said Thompson, when asked how much mental health played a role in her decision.
“Unfortunately in golf, you lose more than you win, so it’s an ongoing battle to continue to put yourself out there in front of the cameras and continuing to work hard and maybe not seeing the results you want and getting criticized for it. So it’s hard.
“I will say, yes, I’ve struggled with it. I don’t think there’s somebody out here that hasn’t. It’s just a matter of how well you hide it, which is very sad.”
Alexa Pano, 19, first played with Thompson when she was 5 years old and still has an autographed photograph of her on display in the living room.
“She’s a big inspiration,” said Pano, a fellow prodigy now in her second full year on tour, after wrapping up a range session at Lancaster. “We were all talking about her at breakfast this morning.”
While Nelly Korda is in the midst of an historic run this season, it was Thompson who was the face of American golf for a decade before her, and more than did her part when it came to fans and sponsors.
Stacy Lewis looks back on when Thompson came onto the scene and – when the tour was at its lowest point – and believes she’s a major reason the tour is where it is today. Thompson was the star power the tour needed, and her powerful, athletic play, ushered in a new era. Couple that with all that Thompson did behind the scenes, and she was a major force.
“I don’t think the tour realizes how much they’re going to miss her,” said Lewis.
Cam Heyward told me he is definitely isn’t retiring.
When you’ve played in the NFL for 13 seasons, retirement is bound to be a topic fans want to talk about. And when you are 35, played 13 seasons and coming off of an injury-filled season, people are going to wonder.
This is the position Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward finds himself in as of now. Heyward is currently sitting out OTAs for the first time in his career while he and the Steelers reportedly work on a contract extension but there is no guarantee it will get done.
I had a chance to interview Heyward recently and asked him about retirement and Heyward made it very clear what his intentions were.
“I’m not retiring anytime soon,” said Heyward.
Heyward is the epitome of what it means to be a Steeler and we have 100 percent confidence the two sides will come together on a new contract.
