The 2018 regular season is officially at its’ end, as with it comes an inevitable wave of retirements. On Monday afternoon, longtime NFL veteran Brian Orakpo announced his retirement from the NFL. Orakpo, age 32, played 10 years with the Washington Redskins and the Tennessee Titans. The Titans official Twitter page first announced the news.
Brian Orakpo has announced his retirement.
Thank you, @rak98! #TitanUp pic.twitter.com/Jywp1lW20L
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) December 31, 2018
Tennessee Titans, Washington Redskins Linebacker Brian Orakpo Announces Retirement
The news comes at the conclusion of Orakpo’s fourth season with the Tennessee Titans. During his final campaign, Orakpo recorded 1.5 sacks, 28 tackles, three tackles for loss, and seven quarterback hits. Playing in 13 games, Orakpo also broke up three passes while forcing a fumble and recovering another.
Orakpo first came entered the league as the Washington Redskins’ first-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. The linebacker immediately made an impact, starting all 16 games as a rookie and recording 11 sacks, 51 tackles, 15 quarterback hits, and 13 tackles for loss. This impressive performance earned him a Pro Bowl nod as a rookie.
Orakpo played six years in Washington, recording a combined 40 sacks, 256 tackles, 45 tackles for loss, and 71 quarterback hits. The outside linebacker made three Pro Bowls during his time with the Redskins and played in 71 games. However, after recording just half a sack during the 2014 campaign, Washington decided to part ways with the veteran pass rusher.
Orakpo landed with Titans in 2015, signing a four-year, $31 million dollar contract extension in free agency. The veteran linebacker immediately made good on that deal, recording seven sacks and 51 tackles during his first year with the Titans.
Overall, Orakpo played in 61 games in Tennessee. During that time, Orakpo recorded 26 sacks, 169 tackles, 32 tackles for loss, and 54 quarterback hits. His best season in Tennessee came back in 2016 when he recorded 10.5 sacks while playing in all 16 regular season games.
Orakpo finishes his career with a combined 66 sacks, 425 tackles, and 77 tackles for loss. He appeared in 131 games throughout his storied NFL career, earning four Pro Bowl nods in the process.
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Embed from Getty Images
