Saints offensive lineman James Hurst has announced his retirement from the NFL.
The Saints will need to find another offensive lineman, in addition to the questions they already have, now that veteran plug-and-play James Hurst has announced his retirement from the NFL. On Wednesday afternoon, he revealed the news on his own Instagram account.
Every year playing this sport has been a blessing from God. Football, and the people around it, have played a huge part in shaping me into the man I am today. Twenty-Four of my Thirty-Two years of life have been spent training for and playing this game and retiring will be a huge, yet exciting, change in my life.
Hurst, who turned 32 in December, joined the Saints in 2020 after spending his first few seasons with the Ravens. He ended up appearing in 60 games for New Orleans, starting 51. He could play left guard or left tackle, and he started last season.
This puts the Saints in a difficult situation, as Ryan Ramczyk’s future is already uncertain, and Trevor Penning’s future significance is also unknown. They have the 14th and 45th picks to work with, and it appears they will go to free agency after the draft to assist fill his spot.