Like all good things, even great careers must come to an end. After 12 years of stellar play in the trenches, New Orleans Saints legend Terron Armstead has officially hung up his cleats, adding one final injury to a long list that defined his gritty journey.
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Having described himself as being the “most injured guy in the NFL,” Armstead joined the Up and Adams Show with Kay Adams to detail the reasons behind his decision to retire. While the five-time Pro Bowl nominee certainly had his gripes with the injury bug, he couldn’t help but feel proud of his ability to provide quality performances despite dealing with rather serious injuries.
Being sure to clarify that “100% I am done,” Armstead told Adams that while he had received bad news throughout his career, his 2024 conversation with a member of the Miami Dolphins’ medical staff ultimately influenced him to make a tough decision.
“As I look back and reflect on my career, that is something that I am proud of. I took a lot of flack from the fans, rightfully so, because they felt the uncertainty of ‘Is he playing or not?’ In the building, we never had that… I just dealt with some very serious injuries and ultimately this one, this year in Week 3. The team doc told me that ‘You need a knee replacement.’ …I went home and I didn’t feel good after that,” said Armstead.
In being forced to account for the permanent damage that football does to one’s body, Armstead decided he would give the 2024 regular season campaign all that he had before hanging up his cleats. If it wasn’t for the support of his teammates and his Super Bowl aspirations, however, the lockdown offensive lineman may have retired even sooner.
“I’m already in it. We’re three weeks into the season, we’ve got the entire season ahead of us. I want to get a ring. I can’t just bail on the guys and just hang it up, so I made the decision that I’m going to do it. I’m going to go out here and play to the best of my abilities.”
The willingness to remain with his team in light of the career altering news stands as a testament to the grit and determination that will probably define Armstead’s career. While it makes for a great story, the former third-round draft pick will hope that his body can begin to forgive him.
With his knee, bank account, and career now permanently altered, Armstead will begin to embrace the journey that comes in life after football.
Terron Armstead reflects on playing football for 28 years
In wanting to know more about the lore of the man himself, Adams implored Armstead to reflect on not just his NFL career, but his time spent in football. Having dedicated nearly three decades of his life to the gridiron, the beloved tackle recalled what he believed to be the breakout moment of his career.
While he would go on to anchor the pass protection for one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history in Drew Brees, Armstead first turned heads by setting the NFL Combine record for the fastest 40-yard dash time by an offensive lineman in 2013.
“I actually always felt that I could have ran faster to this day. I was dealing with a little bit of a hamstring at the end of my training, so the last week and a half we didn’t run. I needed this. I needed the attention and the exposure to get more scouts to my film… So this, I feel wholeheartedly, helped me get drafted where I did.”
In addition to being the highest drafted player in UA Pine Bluff history, Armstead will be remembered for his contributions in New Orleans. With three consecutive Pro Bowl appearances beginning in 2018, the left tackle was a prominent member of the Saints’ title-window roster.
Armstead played 135 games throughout his 12-year career and made the All-Pro second team in 2018. His legacy as one of the best tackles in Saints history will likely see him have his number enshrined in the team’s ring of honor at the Caesar’s Superdome in the coming seasons.
