Five Recently Retired NFL Players

By Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief Updated: 05 May 2023

Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief

Blake Roberts is the founder of Betting.US and is currently heading the creative team as Editor in Chief. Born and raised in Morgantown, West Virginia, Blake is a great sports fan, with football and basketball being his favorite. He’s our trusted voice for all betting-related matters.

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Recently Retired NFL Players

• The End of an Era: NFL Retired Players
• NFL Retired Players 2023: It Begins with Tom Brady
• J.J. Watt: First Player with Multiple 20-Sack Seasons
• A.J. Green: 727 Receptions
• Devin McCourty: Retired on March 10, 2023
• Bryon Jones: A Beloved Player
• List of NFL Players Who Retired In 2023
• Frequently Asked Questions

Discover the stories and legacies of recently retired NFL players in this comprehensive blog post. We’ll cover the careers of Tom Brady, J.J. Watt, A.J. Green, Devin McCourty, and Bryan Jones – as well as provide an extensive NFL retired players list for fans to reminisce about their favorite athletes’ achievements.

The End of an Era: NFL Retired Players List

Today, we’re going to take a closer look at the careers of recently retired NFL players and celebrate their remarkable achievements. We’ll also provide an NFL retired players list that fans can use to reminisce about the outstanding accomplishments of these talented athletes. Those who love to watch bet on NFL games will know these names well. We’ll also delve into their individual legacies and the impact they’ve had on the sport and their respective teams.

NFL Retired Players 2023: It Begins with Tom Brady

Tom Brady is one of the biggest names in football, and he’s widely regarded as the best quarterback of all time. He is, without a doubt, the most notable of all the retired NFL players we’ll be looking at today, and he’s going to be sorely missed by fans. Even those supporting rival teams give Brady a huge amount of respect for what he’s done for the game and the impact he’s had.

Brady has won a total of seven Super Bowl titles, plus he’s a five-time Super Bowl MVP, and he holds a huge number of career records. For example, he has the most career quarterback wins – with 251 under his belt – along with the most career passing attempts with 12,050 in total! He also has the most career passing completions, with 7,753, and he also holds the joint record for the longest touchdown pass, 99 yards!

Some may see it as a shame that we’re beginning our NFL retired players list with Brady, as he was such a beloved figure. However, there were also a lot of people who wanted him to retire. Some, for example, claimed he was simply too old to play the game anymore – and he actually retired once in the past, only to “un-retire” within two months.

Brady’s second retirement announcement came on February 1, 2023 – although it appears he won’t be leaving the football industry anytime soon. According to Brady, he’s signed a mega-contract with FOX Sports. Brady will become the lead analyst for the network – and this contract is apparently worth a staggering $375 million, so it’s clear his earnings aren’t going to take a hit!

J.J. Watt: First Player with Multiple 20-Sack Seasons

J.J. Watt was a defensive end in the NFL, and he was perhaps best known for his insane pass rushing abilities. Throughout his career, Watt was named to the Pro Bowl no less than five times. The vast majority of Watt’s career was spent playing with the Houston Texans. However, in 2021, he joined the Arizona Cardinals and stayed with them until his retirement, which he announced on January 8, 2023.

In terms of his career records, Watt’s list may not look as impressive as Brady’s – but he still holds two career records. He was the first player to have multiple 20-sack seasons – 2012 and 2014 – and he also holds the record for seasons leading the league in sacks, of which there were two in total.

In terms of his non-record career achievements, Watt holds many. He was crowned NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2012, 2014, and 2015, and was also named as the Walter Payton NFL Player of the Year in 2017. In 2017, he was Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year, and he also won the Bert Bell Award in 2014.

While it’s unclear what Watt will do after retirement, it’s clear his legacy won’t be going anywhere – at least not in the near future!

A.J. Green: 727 Receptions

The third athlete on this NFL retired players page is A.J. Green, who was a wide receiver who played for Cincinnati for 10 seasons. Like Watt, he also joined the Arizona Cardinals in 2021 – although his time there was short-lived, as he announced his retirement on February 6, 2023.

Green was born in 1988, and he started his football career playing for his college football team at the University of Georgia. During these early years, he was a two-time First-Team All-SEC selection, and in the 2011 NFL Draft, he was picked by the Bengals in the first round, with the fourth overall pick.

Green was quick to make an impact in the industry, and he soon managed to become one of the most talented wide receivers in the NFL. He managed to rack up a total of seven Pro Bowls in his ten seasons with the Bengals, and he was known for displaying impressive speed and agility. Green managed to rack up a total of 70 receiving touchdowns and 10,514 receiving yards throughout his career.

Devin McCourty: Retired on March 10, 2023

Devin McCourty officially announced his retirement on March 10, 2023, and at the time of doing so, he was ranked number 4 on the list of the oldest active players in the NFL. Born in 1987, McCourty played as a safety for the Patriots for a total of 13 seasons. He started his career playing college football for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, and, in the 2010 NFL Draft, was selected by the Patriots.

Missing just five games during his time with the Patriots, McCourty is seen as one of the most influential players the team has ever had. His retirement at the age of 35 makes him one of the old retired NFL players to retire recently.

McCourty holds a number of impressive career records; he managed to rack up 971 total tackles, has 3.0 sacks, and managed 110 pass deflections. He’s been a Super Bowl Champion three times – XLIX, LI, and LIII – and has also been Second-team All-Pro three times, in 2010, 2013, and 2016.

He was selected for the New England Patriots All-Dynasty Team, and the All-2010s Team, and also received 2x Pro Bowl selections in 2010 and 2016. At the time of writing, McCourty holds the record for the most postseason starts for a defensive player, and his commitment to his team shows how dedicated and passionate he was playing football.

Bryon Jones: A Beloved Player

Bryon Jones was born in 1992 and was a football cornerback who announced his retirement on February 13, 2023. His career started with him playing college football at UConn, and in the 2015 NFL Draft, he was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys. They noted his stellar performances and were eager to sign him up as soon as possible.

He ended up playing a total of five seasons for the Cowboys, and during his time with them, he was named Second-team All-Pro once, and also made the Pro Bowl in 2018. After being a free agent during his fifth season, Jones signed a five-year contract with the Miami Dolphins. This contract was worth $82 million, making him – at the time – the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history.

In terms of his career records, Jones has 444 total tackles, five forced fumbles, and 57 pass deflections. He had four interceptions and one defensive touchdown. Unlike some of the other recently retired NFL players we’ve talked about so far, it’s unclear what Jones plans to do next. He may take a break from public life, or he may, like Brady, look into other opportunities within football.

List of NFL Players Who Retired In 2023

So far, we’ve covered several of the top NFL players who announced their retirement in 2023. However, this list of NFL players who retired is by no means exhaustive – which is why, below, we’re going to show you a list of other retired NFL players who also stopped playing football in 2023.