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Bengals Starting Edge Rusher Retires at Age 29
Cincinnati Bengals starting edge rusher Sam Hubbard has announced he is retiring from the NFL at the age of 29.
The Cincinnati Bengals are losing even more reinforcements on defense. Starting edge rusher Sam Hubbard has announced that he is retiring from the NFL at the age of 29.
“In my heart, I know that I gave this game, this team, and this city everything that I had. That is why today, with great pride, I am announcing that I am moving on from my playing career in the NFL and entering the next chapter of my life,” Hubbard said in a statement. “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.”
Hubbard’s retirement comes by a surprise, but it does save the salary cap-strapped Bengals $9.5 million. It won’t be easy for the team to replicate his production, however.
In seven seasons, Hubbard played in 104 regular-season games with a streak of 88 consecutive starts from 2019-24. He had 398 tackles, 55 tackles for a loss, 38.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries, one interception and 16 passes defensed.
Hubbard made many great plays throughout his seven-year NFL career, but his most notable came just two years ago when he recovered a fumble and took it 98 yards for a touchdown in the Bengals 24-17 playoff win over the Baltimore Ravens.
The Bengals selected Hubbard in the third round (No. 77 overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft after four impressive years at Ohio State.
Hubbard is walking away from football but not from his hometown as he was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio.