All good things must come to an end. That end arrives sooner rather than later for most athletes in the NFL. The game’s relentless and physical nature proves to be taxing on the body. Some players go so far as to retire when they’re in their prime, missing out on more potential glory in favor of their health. This offseason had no shortage of elite players hanging up their cleats. Zack Martin called it a career alongside his teammate on the Cowboys’ line Tyron Smith. On the other side of the ball, Brandon Graham said goodbye after going out with a bang and winning his second ring. This upcoming season has some heavy hitters who’ll close the NFL chapter in their books, today we’ll be looking at those players and see what effects their potential departures will have.
Lane Johnson
Lane Johnson has provided nothing short of excellence throughout his entire career. Since being drafted in 2013, he’s consistently been at the top of the NFL in pressures and sacks allowed. Entering his thirteenth season, age is yet to slow him down. He’s notched a first or second team all pro selection every year for the past four seasons. Furthermore, his presence on Philly’s offensive line helped the birds earn their ranking as PFFs top unit of protectors.
The Eagles and Howie Roseman have shown how much they value the trenches. They used high value picks on Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt. Those two are now slated to be immediate replacements at impact positions left vacant by the retirements of Fletcher Cox and the aforementioned Brandon Graham. However, Philadelphia sat patiently during this year’s draft when it came to offensive tackle. It was in the sixth round when they finally took an OT in Miles Hinton before doubling down and selecting Cam Williams as well.
Whoever the Birds decide should be the successor following Johnson will have the full faith of Jeff Stoutland and the Eagles staff. Regardless, they’re going to have a long road ahead of them before being able to replicate the veteran’s presence.
Lavonte David
Switching over to the other side of the ball, Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David is heading into his fourteenth season with Tampa Bay. Much like his teammate Mike Evans, his consistency at the position is unmatched. He’s logged less than a hundred tackles in only two of his fourteen years as a pro, culminating in 1602 for his career. In 2024, David was the only player with 100 tackles, 3 or more forced fumbles and 5 sacks.
In regards to a succession plan, the Bucs don’t have an immediate one in place. Many draft analysts assumed Tampa Bay would bring in Alabama’s Jahaad Campbell with their first round selection. Instead, they went with who they considered the best player available on the board and selected OSU wideout Emeka Egbuka. In fact, none of their six selections from the draft were inside linebackers. This could signify the confidence the Buccaneers coaching staff has in third year man SirVocea Dennis. While his 2024 campaign was cut short, Todd Bowles had high praise for the Pitt alumnus. “I thought we had a heck of a player when he was on the field” said Bowles, “We really thought he was making big strides, first, second and third down. He’s not just a third-down player”.
Ultimately, Lavonte David’s longevity and consistency is few and far between. He’s a captain and leader on a defense with multiple stars and impact players. He’ll go down as a legend for the Bucs, and will be sorely missed by the team.
Travis Kelce
Other than Patrick Mahomes, the most well known player on the dominant Chiefs offense is Travis Kelce. His career accolades allow him to be a strong contender for best tight end of all time. A big part of that is due to his synergy with the aforementioned Mahomes. The chemistry between the two is in a class by itself, helping Kelce slice through opposing defenses at just the right time.
Kansas City does have their backup plan installed in Noah Gray, who inked a three year 18 million dollar & deal prior to 2024. He racked up career highs in receptions, yards and touchdowns last year. Gray’s improvement provides the team a safety net when Kelce steps down. Additionally, Brett Veach and the Chiefs front office did not dedicate premium assets towards the position. They did sign UDFA tight end Jake Briningstool, so perhaps he could be a contributor alongside Gray.
No matter what happens, Kansas City will suffer a big loss the moment their long time tight end calls it a career. Hopefully for Chiefs kingdom’s sake, his last dance with the team will put another ring on his finger.
Matthew Stafford
When Matthew Stafford hangs up his cleats, he’ll be a source of fond memories for two franchises. While Detroit already has stability at signal caller, Stafford’s departure will be costly for the Rams. Other than winning it all for LA, he’s passed for 95 touchdowns and over 14k yards with the team. Furthermore, he’ll close in on 60k for his career when he enters 2025. His production is consistently among the top of the league, and Sean McVay knows just how to play to his strengths.
It’s never easy to move on from a franchise quarterback. The Rams made sure to keep their guy in the building and gave a 2 year extension for Stafford worth 42 million annually. Whether the former Bulldog will play his contract out for both years is unclear. However, LA appears to be primed for finding a new suitor at signal caller. Thanks to a trade down with Atlanta, the Rams fetched themselves a second first rounder for 2026. Now, with next year’s QB class looking bountiful and GM Les Snead’s aggression, a trade up for one of the top guys at the position is on the table.
Stafford is among the oldest players at his position, representing an era of men under center that’s fading away. Regardless of his age, he’s still a nightmare to play against, and opposing defenses will rejoice when he retires.
Harrison Smith
Harrison Smith continues to defy the odds in Minnesota. Throughout his career as a Viking, he’s been named a pro bowler six times, and is the current active leader for most interceptions. At 36 years of age, he’s still playing at a high level. Last year In Brian Flores’ defense, he tallied 87 tackles as well as 10 passes defensed.
in 2024, three of Minnesota’s safeties exceeded the thousand yard mark in snaps played. Of course, there’s no guarantee that those numbers will be recreated once the 2025 season runs its course. However, with how effective Josh Mettelus is when utilizing his versatility, it’s likely that Brian Flores keeps his safeties on the field. As such, it’s safe to assume that training camp standout Theo Jackson will replace the downs played by Cam Bynum. Jackson was effective during the 79 defensive snaps he played last season, and is primed for a bigger role. That still leaves a vacancy at the position if Harrison Smith were to retire, unless of course Flores decides to switch up his scheme.
It’s rare for safeties to play for as long as Harrison Smith. 2025 will be his fourteenth campaign, and while it’d be a shame to see such an illustrious career end, he’ll leave some great memories for fans in Minneapolis.
Adam Thielen
We jump from Harrison Smith to a long-time former teammate of his on the Vikings. Adam Thielen gave Minnesota nine great seasons. He was consistently a great number two option, and consistently put up good yardage. Now in Carolina, he brings stability and a veteran presence, helping Bryce Young refine his craft.
The value that Thielen currently brings to the Panthers is his chemistry with Young and his vet prowess. When looking at the depth chart, If he were to hang up the cleats today, Carolina wouldn’t b suffering that big of a blow. Regardless, with how young their (albeit stacked) receiving room is, Thielen’s presence and mentorship is a massive boost. With the exception of Hunter Renfrow and David Moore, their depth chart at wideout consists of mostly rookies and 2nd year players. It’s a full room, and one where the 11 year vet serves a clear purpose.
Adam Thielen has 8311 yards to his name. If not for 7 lost games due to injuries, he likely would have added another thousand yard campaign to his list of accomplishments last season. Carolina hopes that one of their young wideouts will step up, in order to fill the void he’ll eventually leave.
Bobby Wagner
The only remaining piece from the legendary Seahawks legion of boom defense. When Bobby Wagner submits his retirement papers, it’ll mark an end of an era. He’s no longer at the top of his position like in his prime, but he’s still among the best in the league against the run. A PFF run defense grade of 90.8 (3rd among LBs) and 49 stops (15th) show how the veteran can still deliver a hit.
On key thing that makes Wagner special is his leadership. Plenty of players far and wide tout him as an inspiring locker room presence, something that is hard to replace. Washington will sorely miss his contributions, but are gunning for their 5th rounder from last year, Jordan Magee, to show promise this season. Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. said that Magee showed “great call command” during practice. The Commanders staff would like to give him more reps in three linebacker sets, and if all goes well, it may help ease him into a bigger role in the future.
Just before calling it a career, Wagner’s got a shot at making history. Right now, he’s tied with London Fletcher for most 100 tackle seasons in NFL history at thirteen. If he’s able to get another hundred in his age 35 season, it’ll be one last mark he leaves before going out with a bang.
Aaron Rodgers
“I’m pretty sure this is it. That’s why we just did a one-year deal.” said Aaron Rodgers on the Pat McAfee show when asked about his potential retirement. The four time MVP is hoping to get one more run at winning it all in Pittsburgh. On a one year deal, he’ll join Mike Tomlin and Arthur Smith to lead an offense that has been stagnant since Ben Roethlsberger retired.
It feels as if Pittsburgh doesn’t want to exit the state of purgatory they’ve been stuck in the for past few years. When you look at the moves they’re making, it’s clear that they consider themselves contenders. Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay, Jonnu Smith and of course Aaron Rodgers are not players you acquire if you think winning the whole thing is unrealistic. However, their talent is likely not going to be good enough for them to lift up the Lombardi, and it’s not going to be bad enough for them to get a high value draft pick to select one of the top QBs. They do have Will Howard on the roster, but expecting a sixth rounder to turn into a franchise guy will only lead to disappointment.
Rodgers is currently the oldest active player in the NFL. He’s the all-time leader in interception percentage, and is a lock for the first ballot in the hall of fame. While he would be disappointed if he were to leave the game without one more ring, his accolades are something to be more than proud of.
