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When an NFL player chooses to retire, it's usually a result of their age and a decline in their usual production. When their play begins to decline significantly, it sometimes means it's time to call it a career.
While the vast majority of players wait until they don't quite have it anymore like they used to, some players decide to retire while still in the middle of their prime for one reason or another. Here are three NFL superstars who decided to do so.
3 NFL stars who retired during the prime of their careers
#1 - Luke Kuechly
Luke Kuechly spent eight seasons with the Carolina Panthers, where he was the most dominant linebacker in the NFL during his career. He won the Defensive Rookie of the Year award in his first season and followed that up by winning the Defensive Player of the Year award in his second season. He was also selected to seven straight Pro Bowls and All-Pro teams.
Following the 2019 NFL season at just 28 years old and still in the prime of his career, Kuechly suddenly decided to retire. He suffered several serious concussions during his career, so his health was one of the main reasons he decided it was the right time.
#2 - Andrew Luck
Andrew Luck spent six seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, where he demonstrated all of the potential to blossom into a legendary quarterback. He was just getting started but was already impressive, being selected to four Pro Bowls and eclipsing 4,200 passing yards four times. He recorded an impressive 57-37 overall record and helped the Colts reach the playoffs four times.
Luck shocked the NFL world when he retired just weeks before the start of the 2019 season due to injury concerns. He missed the entire 2017 season with a shoulder injury but returned to play every game of the 2018 season, making the sudden retirement such a surprise.
#3 - Calvin Johnson
Calvin Johnson is one of the most dominant wide receivers of all time. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame despite playing just nine seasons with the Detroit Lions. He is a four-time All-Pro who led the league in receiving yards in two different seasons, including owning a single-season NFL record of 1,964 receiving yards.
When Johnson surprisingly retired at just 30 years old due to personal reasons following the 2015 season, he was still in the prime of his career. He had an active streak of six consecutive seasons where he eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards and was selected to the Pro Bowl in all of them.
