Eagles defensive back Walter Thurmond has decided to retire from the NFL at the age of 28, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Thurmond rejected several contract offers of $4 million-plus per year, according to past reports. He joins Calvin Johnson, Marshawn Lynch, Jerod Mayo and Husain Abdullah as players to surprisingly retire this offseason at a young age.
Eagles DB Walter Thurmond retires at age of 28, per report
Thurmond also played for the Seahawks and Giants in his six-year career.
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Thurmond was a fourth-round draft pick out of Oregon by Seattle Seahawks in 2010 and spent the first four seasons of his career in the Pacific Northwest. He had a limited role as a reserve nickel back in the "Legion of Boom," starting only eight games and recording one interception from 2010-13.
Thurmond signed with the New York Giants after his rookie contract expired but injuries limited him to just two games in 2014. He hit the open market again last offseason as a guy with plenty of upside and the Eagles took a chance on him, signing him to a modest one-year deal. Philly's gamble paid off as Thurmond delivered the best season of career by far.
The sudden change in his production comes from a position change: He played cornerback for his former teams, but converted to safety after the Eagles signed him. Thurmond played in all 16 games in 2015, putting up 71 combined tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, three interceptions and seven passes defensed. He shined in Philadelphia’s blitz package, grading out as the top safety in Pro Football Focus’ pass-rush ratings.
Thurmond’s talent might be peaking now that he is finally healthy, but he’s also suffered numerous injuries during his six-year career -- 2015 was the first season that he played in all 16 games. He had missed 44 of a possible 80 games in the first five years of his career with the Seahawks and Giants.
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