DeMarco Murray is retiring from football

DeMarco Murray is calling it a career. The free agent running back announced Friday he’ll officially be retiring from the NFL at the age of 30. He was released by the Titans in early March.

Murray started his career with the Cowboys, who picked him in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He led the league in rushing in 2014 with 1,845 yards and 13 touchdowns. That season, he was voted the NFL Offensive Player of the Year.

He signed with the Eagles as a free agent during the 2015 offseason on a five-year, $40 million contract. The Eagles traded him to the Titans in 2016, and Murray was productive that season, with 1,287 yards and nine touchdowns.

Last year was a down year for Murray, whose 659 rushing yards were a career low. He just turned 30 in February, and he’s been rehabbing a torn MCL that he suffered at the end of the 2017 season.

There was limited interest in Murray as a free agent. He had a visit with the Dolphins, and the Saints offered him a tryout, which he turned down.

There’s a wall that hits 30-year-old running backs especially hard. Murray saw his productivity decline significantly last season, averaging just 3.6 yards per carry through 15 games. Murray said he played hurt for much of last season, which surely didn’t help. He tore his MCL in Week 16 and missed the remainder of the season, including the Titans’ two playoff games.