Branden Albert was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars by the Miami Dolphins in March. On Monday, the Jaguars’ fourth day of training camp, Albert announced his retirement from the NFL.
Branden Albert announces retirement months after being traded to the Jaguars
It was a surprise move and leaves the team with big questions at the left tackle position.
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Jeanna Kelley has been covering the Falcons for The Falcoholic since 2011 and the NFL for SB Nation since 2015.
“After nine seasons playing in the National Football League, I have decided to retire from the game that has given me so much,” Albert said via a statement released by the team.
Albert skipped voluntary offseason workouts to try to get a new deal from Jacksonville, but he did report for mandatory minicamp and training camp. Retiring could also cost Albert:
The Jaguars offensive line suffered last season, trotting out seven different combinations of players due to injury after injury. Albert would have been an upgrade over Kelvin Beachum for Jacksonville at the left tackle position. He took first-team reps at left tackle on Friday and Sunday. Now the team will shift its hopes to rookie Cam Robinson as the expected starter this season.
Jacksonville’s offensive line has not been earning rave reviews so far in training camp. Blake Bortles’ five-interception practice on Saturday overshadowed the fact that the offensive line was struggling in pass protection and run blocking, according to Alfie Crow at Big Cat Country.
The trade for Albert carried some inherent risk for the Jaguars because of his injury history. The last full season Albert played without missing time for injuries was in 2011 with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Acquiring Albert was the first big move made by new executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin. The move was originally rumored to be a swap, sending Albert to Jacksonville in exchange for tight end Julius Thomas. In the end, the Jaguars sent the Dolphins a seventh round pick in the 2018 draft for Albert. Thomas was traded to the Dolphins for a late-round pick in the 2017 draft.
Albert was set to make $8.9 million this season. He was under contract through 2018.
Albert, a two-time Pro Bowler, was drafted by the Chiefs in the first round of the 2008 draft and spent the first six seasons of his career in Kansas City. He signed with the Dolphins as a free agent in 2014 and spent two seasons there before being traded to Jacksonville this offseason.
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