Sam Hubbard, the longtime Cincinnati Bengals defensive end, announced his retirement from the NFL on Wednesday. He is only 29 years old and won’t turn 30 until June.
Hubbard announced his retirement in a statement posted to his social media channels.
“What’s next? Although it’s the end of my playing career, I view this as a new beginning,” he said. “A new chapter to explore other business opportunities, further the mission of The Sam Hubbard Foundation, focus on my health and family and also take on a new challenge.
“I want to send a sincere thank you to my teammates, coaches, trainers, support staff, Bengals ownership and the NFL for everything you all have done for me. I could not have done any of this alone. To the fans – Who Dey Nation – I thank you the most; you inspired me. From the years of struggle and adversity to Super Bowl LVI, you never stopped believing. I hope I made you proud.”
Hubbard was pure Ohio through and through.
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He was born in Cincinnati, played high school football for Archbishop Moeller and attended Ohio State. The Bengals selected Hubbard in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft and he helped anchor a defense that broke the franchise’s Super Bowl appearance drought.
Hubbard will end his career with 38.5 sacks and 398 total tackles in 104 career games.
Last season, Hubbard had two sacks and 41 tackles. Cincinnati finished 9-8 and narrowly missed the playoffs.
“To play my entire career in one uniform is incredibly special to me, and I am a Bengal for life, always have been and always will be.”
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