Pittsburgh Steelers guard Ramon Foster has retired from the NFL, he and the team announced on Monday.
Foster, 34, spent all of his 11 NFL season with the Steelers after joining the team as an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee in 2009. He played in 160 career games with the Steelers and made 145 starts, the second most at the position in Steelers’ history.
“When the time comes, you just know and now is a time for me to take a bow,” Foster said in a press release. “I’ve had a long, fun and life changing career. Who would have ever thought an undrafted kid out of the University of Tennessee would make it in the NFL for 11 years. I’ve made some friends for a lifetime, had some moments that I’ll never forget and seen some things I never thought I would because of this game.”
“I want to congratulate Ramon on his career in Pittsburgh,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said. “Ramon was class in every way, professional in every way, and I think his career is indicative of what this professional football journey should be about. He went from being an underrated free agent to giving us over a decade of service at an extremely high level. I am honored to be associated with him and wish he and his family the best of luck in retirement.”
Foster was entering the second season of a two-year, $8.25 million contact signed with the Steelers in 2019. His retirement will save the Steelers $4 million against the 2020 salary cap.