Former Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif announced Thursday on social media that he is retiring from the NFL.
Duvernay-Tardif, who also is a doctor, walked away from football in 2020 to work in medicine in his native Canada at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. For his efforts, Sports Illustrated named him the Sportsperson of the Year.
“I’ve had the chance to play in the NFL for 9 years and even today, I sometimes can’t believe I was able to experience this adventure,” Duvernay-Tardif wrote Thursday on Instagram. “Being a professional athlete is a privilege as well as an extremely enriching human and personal experience. The victories, losses and injuries have all been moments to learn how to win and lose as a team while managing a wide range of emotions.”
Duvernay-Tardif, 32, played for the Chiefs from 2015-19, appearing in 60 games (57 starts). He decided to return to football in the fall of 2021, and the Chiefs traded him to the New York Jets on Nov. 2 as part of a four-team deal.
He has played in 73 career games (65 starts) and won a Super Bowl title with the Chiefs during the 2019 season.
Information from Reuters was used in this report.