Cincinnati Bengals defensive end and fan favorite Sam Hubbard is walking away from the game of football at the age of 29.
Minutes after multiple reports stated that the Bengals were planning to release Sam Hubbard from his contract, the Cincinnati native announced his surprise retirement in a statement:
Hubbard had one season remaining on the lucrative four-year, $40 million extension he signed in the 2021 offseason. His cap hit was set at $11.51 million, with a base salary of $9 million.
The 6-foot-5, 265-pound Hubbard was drafted in the third round (77th overall) by the Bengals in 2018. He posted at least six sacks in five of his seven NFL seasons, including a career-high 8.5 in the 2019 campaign.The career Bengal was instrumental in helping the Bengals re-emerge as a force in the AFC during the 2021 season. Hubbard helped the Bengals to consecutive AFC North crowns in 2021 and 2022, back-to-back AFC Championship Game appearances and a trip to Super Bowl 56. There, the Bengals fell to the Los Angeles Rams.
In 104 career games, Hubbard recorded 38.5 sacks, 16 pass breakups, six forced fumbles and one interception. He sits 11th all-time on the Bengals’ sacks leaderboard.
Sam Hubbard Made One Of The Biggest Plays In Franchise History
Sam Hubbard’s defining career moment came in the Bengals’ 2022 AFC Wild Card Round game against the Baltimore Ravens. With the game tied early in the fourth quarter, Ravens QB Tyler Huntley attempted to reach for the goal line on a 3rd-and-goal play from the one.
Cincinnati forced a fumble, and Hubbard took it to the house for a 98-yard touchdown that held up as the game-winning play.
