After an eight-year career, New York Giants tight end Rhett Ellison has announced Monday that he is hanging up his cleats for good. After spending his first five seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Ellison spent the last three years with the G-Men serving as a utility tight end.

The former fourth-round pick out of USC was a regular contributor for New York during his three seasons with the team and was a veteran mentor for the team's younger tight ends like Evan Engram.

Last season, Ellison played 10 games for the Giants making seven starts. The big, 6-foot-5, 255-pound target recorded 18 catches on 29 targets for 167 yards and one touchdown.

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“The past few weeks, it's kind of been an emotional rollercoaster,” Ellison said via a statement on the team's website. “But the overwhelming feeling I have is gratitude. Just thinking back to all the people in my life, even before I put pads on, that were able to nurture and grow the gifts God put into me and make this career possible. I think that was the biggest thing that was the fun part about the retirement process, which is reflecting on those people, thanking those people, reaching out and just the lessons they taught me, the tools they gave me for my life after football.”

A concussion kept Ellison out for last six games of the season but in three years with the team, the 31-year-old recorded 67 catches for 674 yards and four touchdowns.

With Ellison now gone, the Giants will lean on second-year player Kaden Smith and Scott Simonson to carry the load behind Engram.