Colts’ Jack Mewhort putting health ahead of career

After four seasons of dealing with injuries, Jack Mewhort has decided it’s in his best interest to retire from football.

After just four seasons in the National Football League, Jack Mewhort has decided to call it a career at the age of 26.

An offensive lineman out of Ohio State, Mewhort was drafted 59th overall in the 2014 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts and spent his entire four-year career with the team.

There was plenty of potential surrounding Mewhort, but unfortunately, his short time in the league was marred by injuries that kept him out of large chunks of each season. He only appeared in five games last season, and just 10 games in 2016.

Despite the injuries, the Colts obviously loved what Mewhort brought to the team, as they were willing to sign him to a one-year extension back in March. But after evaluating everything, Mewhort clearly felt that it was a better idea for him to retire now rather than risk further injury down the line.

“I would like to thank the Irsay family and the entire Colts organization for giving me the opportunity to live a childhood dream,” Mewhort said, according to USA Today.

“The fans and the city of Indianapolis have treated me like one of their own, and I am forever grateful. Wearing the horseshoe was one of the biggest honors I have ever known, and I will always bleed blue. Go Colts!”

It’s obviously never a professional athlete’s goal to be retired at age 26, but due to the violent and brutal nature of the sport, it’s not uncommon for NFL players to put their health ahead of their career.

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Joshua Perry, at age 24, recently decided to call it a career as well after the sixth concussion of his short career, and earlier this month, safety Kam Chancellor retired at 30 following a neck injury he sustained last season.

Sometimes it’s better to think more about the long term picture, even though cutting your career short isn’t the easiest thing to do.