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While most NFL fans discussed the retirement of New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, a player closer to home also called it quits on Sunday.
Former Chiefs wide receiver Jeremy Maclin announced his retirement from pro football after nine seasons at his wife’s baby shower.
CONGRATS to my brother @jmac___19 On a spectacular Career, but also more importantly on becoming a dad very very soon and enjoying the rest of your life #RETIRED !!! pic.twitter.com/6pIFTxdfvm
— Big Nick (@BigNickShow) March 24, 2019
MACLIN: “I wouldn’t necessarily know a lot of people in here if it wasn’t for football. In some strange way, football has either made us closer or it has developed a relationship that I have with you guys. So something that I want to share with everybody is I’m retiring from the NFL, so I’m done. But I think it’s so cool that I was able to do something to help me develop these relationships.”
Maclin, 30, let his fans know there was more to come, via his official Twitter account.
There will be a letter and video to follow soon in the near future. It is true I am retiring from the NFL! Stay tuned for how/why I came to this decision. Much love everyone!
— Jeremy Maclin (@jmac___19) March 24, 2019
Current Chiefs head coach Andy Reid drafted Maclin out of the University of Missouri to the Philadelphia Eagles back in 2009. Maclin signed a five-year deal to join Reid with the Chiefs in 2015, but he was released in June of 2017.
Maclin landed with the Baltimore Ravens but only lasted one season before they released him. Maclin reportedly went under a procedure to heal a hamstring and glute injury that kept him out of football in 2018, and the thought was he would be ready to join a club for 2019. Somewhere along the way Maclin’s thought process on returning to football obviously changed.
Maclin’s best NFL season came with the Eagles in 2014, when he caught 85 passes for 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns. He had 87 catches for 1,088 yards and eight touchdowns for the Chiefs in 2015. Maclin missed a total of eight games between 2016 and 2017 due to injury.
Maclin’s Chiefs tenure is most remembered for two reasons—bringing respect back to the wide receiver position after the team completed a year with no wide receiver touchdowns in 2014 and his infamous voicemail release by then-Chiefs general manager John Dorsey.
Maclin finished his career with 514 catches for 6,835 yards and 49 touchdowns. He made one Pro Bowl in 2014. He made more than $52 million during his nine-year career, per Spotrac.