Former Steelers TE Eric Ebron announces retirement from NFL

Former Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Eric Ebron has officially announced his retirement from the NFL. The 31-year-old went to Instagram on Tuesday to reveal that his football career has come to an end.

“A Career Is A Career!! I’m Proud Of Me! Thankful for everyone along this journey,” Ebron wrote in the post that also features photos from his days in the NFL and North Carolina.

Ebron began his NFL career in 2014 when the Detroit Lions selected him at No. 10 overall in the draft. He played for the Lions for four seasons before he was released by the team in March 2018. Ebron then signed with the Indianapolis Colts a few days after his release from the Colts and had the best season of his career, catching 66 passes for 750 yards and 13 touchdowns during the 2018 season.

After playing with the Colts for two years, Ebron signed a two-year contract with the Steelers in 2020. In his two seasons at Pittsburgh, Ebron caught 68 passes for 642 yards and six touchdowns. He was the Steelers starting tight end in 2020, but Pat Feriermuth took over the role in 2021. Ebron only played in eight games during the 2021 season as he was placed on injured reserve in late November.

More on Eric Ebron’s NFL career

During his time with the North Carolina Tar Heels, Ebron became one of the top tight ends in the country in 2013. He was named to the All-America Second Team that season after catching 62 passes for 973 yards and three touchdowns.

During an appearance on the Man to Man podcast last year, Ebron talked about not being mentally ready for the NFL when the Lions drafted him. “You get drafted to Detroit and it’s tough,” Ebron said, per Pride of Detroit. “It’s tough, especially when you’re young and a little immature like I was. I only played two years of high school football, three years of college football. Here I am as a professional athlete. I’m still kinda young in the game and I wasn’t ready for Detroit. Detroit wasn’t ready for me.”