In a surprising turn of events, a recent tweet from Barstool Sports suggested that former Tennessee Titans offensive lineman Taylor Lewan had announced his retirement from the NFL. The tweet released from Barstool Sports stated, “BREAKING NEWS: @TaylorLewan77 has announced his retirement from the NFL @BussinWTB.” 

The tweet immediately sent fans into a frenzy as many believed it to be true given his recent injury struggles and free agent status. However, Lewan quickly clarified the surprise retirement announcement, which ultimately proved to be nothing more than a joke.

Here's what he said: “I'm not retired. I’m not retired. Production team asked if they could use this clip. I told them yes as long as they keep me saying it’s a joke in the clip. Obviously they didn’t listen and got what they wanted. Congrats on getting numbers I guess.

The three-time Pro Bowler has known no other NFL team besides the Titans. However, the 2022 season was one to forget for him as he started the season being the starting tackle but within the next two games he found himself on the sidelines.

Taylor Lewan suffered a season-ending knee injury and was ultimately released in early 2023. Subsequently, he stated that he needs some time to decide whether he wants to continue playing or whether to hang up his shoes.

Having entered the NFL as a first-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, he appeared in 11 games as a rookie while making six starts. He earned a full-time starting role in 2015, starting all 15 games in which he appeared for rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota. Unfortunately, the Titans still finished the season with a dismal 3-13 record.

Over the next three seasons(2016-2018), Lewan established himself as an excellent offensive lineman, as he started in 47 games and made three consecutive postseason appearances. In July 2018, he even signed a five-year, $80 million contract extension that made him the highest-paid offensive lineman in the league.

Unfortunately, the injuries started to pile up following his third straight Pro Bowl season. He only played 12 games in 2019 while the Titans made it all the way to the AFC Championship Game before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. The offensive tackle is currently a free agent and is in search of a new contract.