Philadelphia Eagles running back Darren Sproles has announced his retirement from football.
The 36-year-old penned a first-person letter on the Eagles' team website on Saturday, stating his decision to step away from the game after 15 years in the NFL:
“When I re-signed with the Eagles back in July, I knew it was going to be my last season, and now my body is telling me it's time to step away from the game. It's time to call it a career,” wrote Sproles. “So when the season comes to an end, I'm going to officially retire from the National Football League. But I wanted to announce it today so that we can appreciate the moment together on Sunday.”
Sproles was ruled out for the remainder of the season last month due to a hip injury, his latest injury in what has been a three-year run full of them.
Since 2017, Sproles has played in just 15 games due to various injury issues and contemplated retirement this past offseason before ultimately deciding to re-up with Philadelphia for one more year.
The Waterloo, Ia. native, who played his collegiate football at Kansas State, was originally selected by the San Diego Chargers in the fourth round (130th pick overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft.
Sproles spent the first six years of his career with the Chargers, displaying terrific versatility as a special teamer and a pass-catcher out of the backfield.
He then joined the New Orleans Saints for three years before linking up with the Eagles in 2014, where he made three straight Pro Bowl appearances between 2014 and 2016.
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