Former New York Giants first round pick Justin Pugh has announced his retirement from the NFL.
The offensive guard and Pennsylvania native, who turns 35 in mid-August, announced his intentions to retire from the sport as a member of the team that picked him.
Pugh, who gained popularity for his humorous ‘Sunday Night Football’ intro in October 2023, admitted he wanted to come back for one more season.
‘I’ve played here six of my 11 years in the NFL,’ Pugh said. ‘Not many players get to go out on their terms, and after 11 years playing in the NFL, I am officially retiring from the league.
‘I thought I was going to do another one, but just didn’t have it in the tank. I started losing weight and started feeling good, and didn’t want to do a 12th year.
‘But like every little boy, I always dreamed of playing in the NFL … I definitely never planned on making a block so Eli (Manning) could throw the ball down the field.
Justin Pugh has announced his retirement from the NFL at age 35 after eleven seasons
Pugh played six seasons with the Giants and five with the Cardinals, where he tore his ACL
‘I never dreamed of being an offensive lineman. I don’t think any little boys are out there right now being like, ‘Let me pass set and block in the playoffs to make something happen.’
‘What I realized, offensive line was the position that was for me. I was built perfectly for it, and it’s something that you don’t choose.
‘Everyone wants to be that star position, but it’s something that really defined me as a man, as a father and as a teammate.’
Pugh last took the field in the 2023 season – taking part in 12 games after overcoming a significant knee injury.
In that ‘Sunday Night Football’ matchup in Orchard Park, New York against the Buffalo Bills, Pugh greeted the audience by saying he came from ‘straight off the couch’.
Pugh was picked by the Giants 19th overall in the 2013 NFL Draft after a four-year tenure at Syracuse University.
He played five years with the Giants before spending his next five seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. His last season with the Cardinals ended after five games due to a torn ACL.
Pugh then returned to the Giants for one more season in 2023 and did not take the field in 2024.
