Oakland Raiders defensive end Justin Tuck has announced his retirement from the NFL. Tuck, 32, just completed his 11th NFL season.
Two-time Super Bowl winner Justin Tuck announces his retirement
The defensive end has decided to call it a career after 11 years in the NFL.
The Star-Ledger-USA TODAY Sports
Jeanna Kelley has been covering the Falcons for The Falcoholic since 2011 and the NFL for SB Nation since 2015.
Tuck was drafted out of Notre Dame by the New York Giants in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft and played in 14 games his rookie season with one start. Tuck remained with the Giants through the 2013 season and signed a two-year deal to go to the Oakland Raiders as a free agent prior to the 2014 season.
He will sign a one-day contract to retire as a member of the Giants:
Giants fans singing happy birthday to my son at the SB parade and yes I will sign a 1 day https://t.co/oBErGVQ1TG
— Justin Tuck (@JustinTuck) February 11, 2016
Tuck won two Super Bowls with the Giants, and the argument can effectively be made that he should have been named MVP of both. In Super Bowl XLII against the New England Patriots, Tuck was extremely disruptive, sacking Tom Brady twice, hitting him twice, and forcing a fumble. The Giants won 17-14.
In Super Bowl XLVI four years later, Tuck forced Brady to throw the ball away from his own end zone on the Patriots’ first play from scrimmage, giving the Giants a safety and a 2-0 lead to start the game. Tuck sacked Brady twice and added three quarterback hits en route to the Giants’ 21-17 victory. Tuck’s four sacks in Super Bowls place him second all-time in the NFL since the statistic became official, per ESPN Stats & Info. He trails only Hall of Famer Charles Haley, who has 4.5 Super Bowl sacks.
The retirement announcement, shared by Tuck via Facebook, thanks the Giants and Raiders, his coaches, his family and close friends, his teammates and his fans.
After months of praying & careful consideration, I have decided to retire... - https://t.co/gBj0hzX8Jq pic.twitter.com/iI5cXUIufz
— Justin Tuck (@JustinTuck) February 1, 2016
Tuck’s announcement comes as he’s set to enter free agency, and while the Raiders expressed interest in re-signing him, he’s been weighing this decision for a long time. He told Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports that the one thing that might have changed his mind would have been the opportunity to return to the Giants if Tom Coughlin had remained the head coach.
“If Coach (Tom) Coughlin would’ve come back another year, I probably would’ve (considered) coming back,” Tuck said. “I didn’t even venture down that road. I think I would’ve given a lot of consideration to it.”
In a statement released by the Raiders, general manager Reggie McKenzie called Tuck “an invaluable part of the Raiders organization” since day one.
“Everyone in the building appreciates all that he has done both on and off the field,” McKenzie said. “His leadership in the locker room and mentorship of young players like Khalil Mack is immeasurable. The Raiders wish him and his family the absolute best.”
Head coach Jack Del Rio, who took over in Oakland prior to the 2015 season, echoed McKenzie’s sentiments, calling Tuck “a leader and a true professional.”
“His commitment to his teammates and the organization was awesome and he was a pleasure to coach. I wish Justin and his family nothing but the best,” Del Rio said.
Over the course of his career, Tuck has 510 combined tackles, 66.5 sacks, three interceptions and 22 forced fumbles. He was sidelined for most of the 2015 season, but started five games for the Raiders prior to suffering a pectoral injury and had seven tackles, seven assists, one sack and three pass deflections. Tuck was named to the Pro Bowl in 2008 and 2010 and was a first-team All-Pro in 2008.
See More:
