Ryan Shazier is officially retiring from the NFL.
In a video posted to social media on Wednesday, Shazier announced that while he still loves football, he has decided to stop his attempt to return to the field and “step away from the game for awhile and see what else life has to offer.”
Thank You ... pic.twitter.com/JS3diYi2ar
— Ryan Shazier (@RyanShazier) September 9, 2020
“I know football will always be here for me if I need it, but right now, I'm excited to explore some new challenges and different paths,” Shazier said. “You'll be hearing from me real soon about all the things I'll be doing.”
Per Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, Shazier will be joining The Ringer as an NFL analyst and will be hosting a Tuesday show for the network on Spotify. He also said during a Zoom call with reporters on Wednesday afternoon that he is working on multiple additional business ventures.
Shazier played his final NFL game on Dec. 4, 2017, when he suffered a spinal injury while making a tackle in a Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Since then, Shazier had been attempting to work his way back from the injury and eventually make a return to the field, all the while continuing to have a role within the Pittsburgh Steelers organization. However, Shazier still faced long odds to ever being able to play football again, and was placed on the reserve/retired list by the Steelers in March.
Before his injury, Shazier had established himself as one of the best linebackers in the NFL, making the Pro Bowl in 2017. He previously starred at Ohio State from 2011-13, earning first-team All-American honors in his final season as a Buckeye.
