Minnesota Vikings linebacker Cameron Smith has retired from the NFL.
Smith announced Wednesday night on his Instagram that he’s decided to hang up his cleats after being a fifth-round pick in 2019. The decision comes a year after Smith needed heart surgery to fix a congenital heart defect. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
The young Vikings player wrote in part, “When I had open heart surgery last year, I grappled a lot with what I had been asking my body to do in order to play this great game. Ultimately, I’ve decided that I’ve been asking for it to do too much.” You can read his entire retirement announcement below.
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This is a really unfortunate situation for Smith. He’s only 24-years-old and his career is already over with so much of it still ahead of him.
He barely even got to taste the NFL before it all came crashing down.
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At the same time, you have to do what is right for your body. You can’t push yourself to a dangerous point, especially after you’ve already had heart surgery.
Furthermore, Smith suffered a concussion during the first preseason game of the season. It’s clear that his body has been through the wringer.
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Now, at the age of 24, he’ll have to carve out a new path. It sounds like he has a positive attitude and that’s all you can ask for.