NFL Player Retires at Age 27 After 'Too Many Concussions'

An NFL player is calling it a career at 27 years old. Kylie Fitts, a linebacker who spent the last three seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, announced his retirement on Friday. He revealed the reason he's hanging up his cleats is he has suffered multiple concussions, making it no longer safe for him to be on the field. 

"After 21 years of playing, football has come to an end for me," Fitts wrote in an Instagram post. "Due to too many concussions and the severity of my recent one, it is no longer safe for me to continue to play. I am so grateful for this game and everything it has taught and brought into my life. Thank you to all my coaches and teammates throughout my career. I am also so thankful for my family and wife who have supported me through all the up's and downs and special thank you to my dad. Spent countless hours, early mornings and late nights helping me reach my goal of always wanting to play in the NFL.

"I believe we were created beyond just playing the game. I know God has great plans for me and my family and I'm so excited for what he has in store for me next!" Fitts was selected by the Chicago Bears in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft from Utah. He played in six games during his rookie season but didn't record any defensive stats. In 2019, Fitts signed with the Arizona Cardinals and played in 22 games in three seasons of action. In those 22 games, Fitts recorded 15 tackles and one forced fumble. 

Before playing college football at Utah, Fitts spent time at UCLA and was not happy. "It just took a little time," Fitts told NBC Sports Chicago back in 2018. "Once I got to Utah, it was a whole different atmosphere. The coach was someone I could play for and in that first year at Utah, after I had to sit out, I got back in the groove making plays and it all came back." In 2017, Fitts played in 10 games and recorded 23 tackles and three sacks. Injuries slowed his college career, missing all but two games in 2016. He also missed three games in 2017 due to an injury. 

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