Latest development in NC State’s brutal football season comes with this silver lining

North Carolina State quarterback Grayson McCall has announced his retirement from football at the age of 23, citing medical reasons.

In a heartfelt Instagram post, McCall revealed that a recent injury was the final factor in his decision. Having sustained multiple injuries throughout his career, including two concussions this season alone, the most recent of which occurred during a game against Wake Forest where he was carted off the field, McCall has decided to step away from playing.

McCall wrote in his lengthy post, "Brain specialists, my family, and I have come to the conclusion that it is in my best interest to hang the cleats up."

McCall first made a name for himself at Coastal Carolina, where he played five seasons and earned Sun Belt Player of the Year honors three times. During his tenure with the Chanticleers, he threw for an impressive 10,005 yards, 88 touchdowns, and only 14 interceptions. After transferring to NC State, he appeared in four games with NC State, throwing for 518 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions.

Grayson McCall is done playing but that doesn't mean he's done with football

Despite the premature end to his playing days, McCall remains optimistic about his future in football. In his retirement post, McCall mentioned that he plans to transition into coaching, a natural fit given his six years of collegiate football experience.

While he has not yet announced where he will begin his coaching career, many hope that he remains with NC State, potentially assisting in the development of freshman quarterback C.J. Bailey. The young signal-caller has looked impressive for the 4-4 Wolfpack, completing 67.1 percent of his passes, throwing for 1,376 yards, 8 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, while adding another pair of touchdowns on the ground. McCall's leadership and knowledge could be invaluable to any program lucky enough to have him on the coaching staff.