Veteran defensive lineman Jason Hatcher will call it a career, according to agent Jordan Woy (via Twitter). Woy announced today that Hatcher is retiring from the NFL, tweeting that his client’s leadership “will be missed by teammates.”
Hatcher, 33, joined the Cowboys as a third-round pick in the 2006 draft, and played in Dallas for the next eight seasons. Although he didn’t start a game until 2010, Hatcher was a solid rotational piece throughout the first few years of his career, and developed into an impact starter during his last few seasons in Dallas.
Hatcher enjoyed his best season in 2013, when he recorded a career-high 11 sacks and forced a pair of fumbles. The Grambling State alum earned his first and only Pro Bowl nod for that performance, and parlayed it into a four-year, $27.5MM contract with the Cowboys’ division rivals in Washington. After earning about half of that contract, Hatcher was released by the team earlier this offseason to create cap room.
While the Saints hosted Hatcher for a visit in March, and reports indicated that Washington had some interest in re-signing him at a reduced rate, the veteran defensive lineman will move on from the NFL instead, after 10 seasons in the league. For his career, he totaled 34.5 sacks in 147 regular season games (69 starts).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.