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Report: Jake Locker retiring from NFL

By Josh Hill

Oct 5, 2014; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Jake Locker (10) looks to pass against the Cleveland Browns during the first half at LP Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 5, 2014; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Jake Locker (10) looks to pass against the Cleveland Browns during the first half at LP Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports /
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After a just a few seasons in the NFL, Jake Locker is retiring from the game of football despite drawing interest from teams. 

Jake Locker was a big prospect coming out of Washington a few years ago, but his short stint in the NFL shows just how harsh the grind can be. After just a few seasons in the NFL and after not breaking in like we thought he might, Locker has called it a career and will be retiring from the game of football.

Locker made the announcement official on Tuesday at the start of the new league year.

"“I am retiring from football after much reflection and discussion with my family. I will always be grateful for having had the opportunity to realize my childhood dream of playing in the NFL and for the lifelong relationships I developed because of that experience. Football has always played a pivotal role in my life and I love the game, but I no longer have the burning desire necessary to play the game for a living; to continue to do so would be unfair to the next organization with whom I would eventually sign. I realize this decision is surprising to many, but I know in my heart that it is the right decision and I look forward to spending more time with my family and pursuing other interests.”"

His retirement — premature in every aspect — comes on the same day as another seemingly premature retirement from Patrick Willis. But where Willis leaves behind a potential Hall of Fame legacy, Locker leaves behind bitter disappointment.

Lokcer was supposed to be a stud in the NFL and he kept teams waiting an extra year when he elected to stay at Washington instead of coming out in 2010. Instead, he came out in 2011 and never really latched on with the Tennessee Titans.

He headlines a disappointing quarterback draft class that had other busts like Blaine Gabbert and Christian Ponder.

Locker’s retirement from the game shows that the wear it has on your body is real and that not everyone is cut out for the NFL. He had interest from teams as a backup, but Locker’s heart wasn’t in the game and his walking away from football seals his disappointing legacy in a strangely admirable way.

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