“Love You Kay!”: Terron Armstead Reacts After His Retirement News “Hurts” His Biggest Fan Kay Adams

Terron Armstead is a great example of why people should never give up. He announced his retirement from the NFL over the weekend after 12 illustrious seasons, but his career didn’t begin on steady ground. Early on, it didn’t even seem like he’d play more than 5-6 years.

Armstead was selected in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints out of Arkansas-Pine Bluff. He became a regular starter in 2014 and was named a Pro Bowl alternate in 2015. However, he missed 6+ games in each of the next three seasons after struggling to stay healthy.

Still, he refused to let those setbacks define him. Even in 2018, when he played only 10 games, Armstead earned his first official Pro Bowl selection and was named a Second-Team All-Pro—an impressive feat for someone battling through adversity. It’s no wonder Armstead’s self-proclaimed “biggest fan,” Kay Adams, went on to call him the “heartbeat of the Saints o-line.”

Armstead had a successful career both on the field and financially. Still, Adams admitted that Armstead’s retirement “hurts.” The NFL presenter went on to give him his flowers during her first show on Monday following the announcement.

“This hurts me. I am his biggest fan. Congratulations on an elite career. An extraordinary, undeniable career. 12 seasons, five Pro Bowls, one All-Pro, heartbeat of the Saints o-line,” said Adams.

“Doing his thing to protect and lead Drew Brees to greatness. Alvin Kamara, all of that success, is tied into Terron Armstead. I liked seeing Drew and Cam Jordan, and all of those guys, partake in the retirement festivities on Saturday night. You can tell it meant a lot to all of them.”

Adams’ praise didn’t go unnoticed. Armstead quoted her tweet and showed love right back to the Good Morning Football alum. He also credited Adams for being one of his most vocal supporters from the start of his NFL tenure.

“Love you Kay!! @heykayadams You supported me from the very beginning, and I appreciate you!!” he penned.

After celebrating Armstead, however, Adams turned to the most pressing question here for football fans: What are the Dolphins going to do about this “seismic hole” that just cratered their o-line less than three weeks before the draft?

“This is a seismic hole. This is a tough one to fill if you’re Miami. Not just from what he did on the field but as the leader, not just by example, but as we’ve seen the vocal leader over the past couple of seasons… And we were sitting down with Tyreek Hill during Super Bowl week… he told me that Armstead is the guy all the Dolphins players turn to in the locker room.”

The Dolphins absolutely need to get Terron Armstead’s replacement correct for one reason: They cannot let their $200 million QB, Tua Tagovailoa, get another concussion. They need reliable players in those tackle spots, and that’s exactly what Armstead was. He allowed just five sacks and 39 pressures in 1,348 pass block snaps in Miami.

We would expect them to use their No. 13 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to select one of the top tackles. Someone like LSU’s Will Campbell or Texas’ Kevlin Banks Jr. While that player may keep Tagovailoa’s jersey clean, a rookie is unlikely to bring the same level of leadership that Armstead had in that locker room. No matter what they do, Armstead’s retirement leaves a huge hole that will take time to fill.

At 33, Armstead isn’t exactly ancient by modern NFL offensive tackle standards, but the wear and tear from repeated injuries clearly took a toll on his body. Despite never playing a full 16- or 17-game season, he became a Pro Bowl fixture.

After first earning alternate status in 2015, Armstead made the Pro Bowl in 2019 and 2020, then again in 2022 and 2023 after joining the Miami Dolphins. Along the way, Armstead signed a couple of lucrative contracts, ultimately earning around $131.5 million over the course of his 12-year career.