Free agent linebacker Kyle Emanuel announced his retirement from the NFL on Thursday.
Selected by the San Diego Chargers in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL draft, Emanuel spent four years with the franchise. He has played in 63 games for the franchise. A Nebraska native, he played collegiately at FCS powerhouse North Dakota State.
He played out his four-year, $2.5 million rookie contract and had visited the Detroit Lions and had drawn other interest from other teams, according to multiple reports.
Emanuel said there is “no one specific reason” he’s retiring, but did say that injuries had “started to pile up” and he was concerned about his long-term health. Emanuel is still only 27, so the decision is pretty surprising.
Garafolo notes that Emanuel recently visited Detroit, and was drawing interest from a “few other teams.” It’s been a growing trend in the league the past handful of years for players to walk away early in their careers due to concerns about their future health.
He was a major contributor on Los Angeles’ defense the past four years, starting a total of 33 games. Last year, he appeared in all 16 games with seven starts, racking up 30 tackles with one sack and a fumble returned for a touchdown.
Emanuel didn’t receive strong grades from Pro Football Focus in his limited action, and it doesn’t seem like the Chargers had much interest in bringing him back. Los Angeles’ linebacking unit was their main weakness last year, and they’re looking to overhaul it.
Emanuel is going out on his own accord, and had a very nice career for an FCS player.
Over four seasons with the Bolts, Emanuel appeared in 63 games with 33 starts. Last year, he finished out with 30 tackles, one sack, and a fumble recovery.
