Jack Mewhort gave the Indianapolis Colts some unexpected news on Wednesday.
The 26-year-old offensive lineman announced that he’s retiring from the NFL after four seasons. Mewhort had been plagued by injury issues with his knees during the previous two years.
“I would like to thank the Irsay family and the entire Colts organization for giving me the opportunity to live a childhood dream,” Mewhort said in a team release. “The fans and the city of Indianapolis have treated me like one of their own, and I am forever grateful. Wearing the Horseshoe was one of the biggest honors I have ever known, and I will always bleed blue. Go Colts!”
After 4 seasons with the Colts, @jackmewhort is retiring from the @NFL.
We thank Jack for his contributions on and off the field: https://t.co/o1nbT4YSkC pic.twitter.com/IBSAIa4omQ
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) August 1, 2018
Jack Mewhort Announces Retirement From NFL After Four Seasons
Mewhort managed just 15 appearances combined during the 2016 and 2017 seasons, all starts. It included a mere five last season as he continued to struggle with knee issues.
But prior to that, Mewhort was a fixture on the Colts offensive line. He appeared in 17 games as a rookie combining regular season and playoffs as Indy advanced to the AFC Championship Game. One year later, he started all 16 games in a season where the Colts finished 8-8.
Despite his injury issues, the Colts signed Mewhort to a one-year deal in the off-season. It was hoped that his veteran presence would help shore up a unit needing improvement with Andrew Luck now fully healthy. Mewhort reportedly saw some first-team reps at left tackle during the first few days of training camp.
But this recent news means that Indy will officially place him on the reserve/retired list.
The Colts drafted Mewhort in the second round (59th overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft. It came after a standout collegiate career at Ohio State where Mewhort made first-team all-Big Ten on two occasions and earned first-team All-American honors as a senior.
