After three disappointing seasons, free agent defensive end Bjoern Werner‘s NFL career is over. The 26-year-old revealed on German television that he’s retiring because teams aren’t showing interest in him, in part because of knee problems, per Scott Horner of the Indianapolis Star. Werner has undergone eight knee operations in the past eight years.
A former star at Florida State, where he racked up 18 tackles for loss and 12 sacks in 2012, the German-born Werner entered the pros as the Colts’ first-round pick in 2013. He was never able to live up to his status as the 24th overall selection in Indianapolis, where he appeared in 38 games and totaled 6.5 sacks. Four of those sacks came in his second season, as did a career-high 15 starts. Werner started only once as a rookie and not at all in 2015, when he also went without a sack in 10 games.
On the heels of his less-than-stellar third season, the Colts waived Werner last March. He then inked a deal with the AFC South rival Jaguars in the spring, but they released him at the end of August. Werner auditioned for the Lions and Saints during the season, though he wasn’t able to land a contract with either team.