It's been an interesting offseason for the Houston Texans, as the franchise has officially entered a rebuild. The front office has had its hands full so far and will continue being busy throughout the remainder of the offseason. They must find a replacement for Whitney Mercilus, who they released in the 2021 season. Now, the long-time veteran officially retires from the NFL.

According to Ian Rapoport, Whitney Mercilus announced his retirement in an Instagram post on Wednesday. It sounds like the former Texans linebacker is calling it a career and will now be focusing on becoming a grill master. If he can grill as well as he can play football, Mercilus should be extremely successful in the food industry.

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After 11 seasons in the NFL, Whitney Mercilus recorded 362 total tackles, 117 QB hits, 58 sacks, 13 forced fumbles, and nine fumble recoveries. Mercilus was a consistent starter throughout most of his career with the Texans before taking a backup role with the Green Bay Packers in the 2021 season.

A lot of former players struggle after retiring from a professional sport, but luckily for Whitney Mercilus, it sounds like he has a true passion outside of football. Maybe he'll own a restaurant or two in the city of Houston? Or, perhaps the former Texans' linebacker is more interested in just grilling and spending time with his family. Either way, Mercilus is likely in a good place.

The Texans have multiple holes on the roster. They can't go wrong with whichever direction they choose to go in the NFL Draft. We should see Houston make as many splash picks as possible, as this franchise hopes to get back on track sooner, rather than later.