Free agent TE Julius Thomas announced his retirement from the NFL on Friday in an article for the Players’ Tribune.
Thomas says he plans to go back to school in order to pursue his doctorate in psychology and study “the effects of contact sports on brain trauma and neurobehavioral performance.”
“I’m ready to admit that I’m OK with giving up the identity of ‘Julius the football player,'” Thomas writes. “I’m OK with not being recognized as an NFL athlete—because I’m more than that. I have stepped out of my identity before, and I will continue to do it again and again throughout life. I believe helping others is what I’m supposed to be doing at this point in my life. Hopefully I can help by encouraging more of my peers to connect with who they are outside of the game. If ultimately that’s what I’m remembered for, I’d be very thankful.”
Thomas, 30, is a former fourth-round pick by the Broncos in the 2011 NFL Draft. He spent four seasons in Denver before signing a five-year, $46 million contract that included $24 million guaranteed with the Jaguars in 2016.
Jacksonville elected to trade Thomas to the Dolphins last year in return for a seventh-round pick.
Thomas was in the third year of his contract and set to make a base salary of $6.5 million for the 2018 season when the Dolphins released him this past March.
For his career, Thomas caught 226 passes for 2,406 yards receiving and 36 touchdowns over the course of seven seasons and 71 games played. He was a two-time Pro Bowl selection.
We had him featured in our Top 50 Available 2018 NFL Free Agents list.
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