Deciding to retire from football is never an easy decision. After signing with the San Francisco 49ers earlier this offseason, veteran tight end Niles Paul announced his retirement, per Adam Schefter.

Paul played in the NFL for eight seasons and decided to call it quits after being released from the 49ers last week. The veteran pass-catcher believes he could make a 53-man roster but his body is telling him otherwise.

The Washington Redskins picked Paul in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Paul was drafted as a wide receiver but made the transition to tight end early in his career. He was even asked to play fullback at certain points of his career with the Redskins.

After being drafted in 2011, Paul spent seven seasons with the Redskins organization. During his time in Washington, Paul had 68 receptions for 856 yards and two touchdowns. Then, Paul ended his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2018.

Last year, Paul was scarcely used as he had just 10 receptions for 98 yards with the Jaguars. Paul may have never put up flashy numbers but did a ton of things that fail to show up in the box score.

During his career, Paul usually was used as a second tight end and he was a fully capable run-blocker. Both teams Paul played for were able to run the ball with success.

Some people may not know him, but despite the lack of numbers he produced, you can say that Niles Paul had a successful NFL career.