Adrian Fedkiw
A few months ago, Walter Thurmond was on the precipice of cashing in on the biggest contract of his NFL career, but the former Philadelphia Eagles safety is retiring instead, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
After 6 NFL seasons, former Eagles, Giants and Seahawks DB Walter Thurmond is retiring at the age of 28, according to source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 31, 2016
The Philadelphia Daily News’ Les Bowen hinted at Thurmond possibly hanging it up in March.
Lot of us wondering why @WaltThurm3 hasn't gotten any buzz in free agency. Several people around the Eagles think Walt might be retiring…
— Les Bowen (@LesBowen) March 11, 2016
Thurmond had his healthiest year in 2015, but he has a long injury history & a lot of off-the-field business interests, including filmmaking
— Les Bowen (@LesBowen) March 11, 2016
The 28-year-old thrived in his first season playing safety in the NFL last year, posting 52 tackles, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and two sacks. Last year’s defensive coordinator, Billy Davis, regularly had his safeties line up against wide receivers in the slot, which is nothing unusual for the former cornerback Thurmond.
Like Bowen tweeted, Thurmond does have an extensive injury history. Last season was the first in his six-year career that he managed to make it through all 16 games. He missed 44 of a possible 96 games in his career, including three years where he was out for at least 10 contests.