Veteran NFL Offensive Lineman Retires Following 6-Game Suspension

A veteran NFL offensive lineman is calling it a career after being suspended by the league for six games for the 2021 season. Jared Veldheer released a statement on Thursday announcing his retirement and explaining why he was suspended. The news of Veldheer's suspension was first reported by Field Yates of ESPN.

"I was prescribed low dose Clomid due to abnormally low T [testosterone] (likely caused from pituitary damage suffered from repeated blows to the head)," Veldheer's statement reads. "I recommend this to any veteran who is struggling with post-football issues. I also plan to retire at this time from the NFL."

This is not the first time Veldheer has retired from the NFL. In November 2019, the Green Bay Packers convinced him to come out of retirement and he played in two games for them. Earlier in the year, Veldheer announced his retirement after signing with the New England Patriots. In December 2020, Veldheer was signed to the Indianapolis Colts practice squad and was then elevated to the active roster for the team's final regular-season game and two playoff games. In January, the Packers signed Veldheer off the Colts practice squad. He was looking to be the first player in NFL history to play in two postseason games for two different playoff teams. However, that didn't happen as the Packers placed Veldheer on the reserve/ COVID-19 list.

Veldheer got his NFL career started in 2010 when he was drafted in the third round by the Oakland Raiders. He played college football at Hillsdale, a Division II school in Michigan. He spent four seasons with the Raiders and played in 53 games with 48 starts. In 2014, Veldheer signed a five-year $35 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals. In his four seasons with the Cardinals, Veldheer played in 53 games with 53 starts. In 2018, Veldheer was traded to the Denver Broncos and started 12 games at right tackle.

Before signing with the Colts last year, Veldheer revealed he was coaching high school football in Michigan. "I helped out a little with East Grand Rapids High School, helping out with their O-Line," Veldheer said during an interview on YouTube per MLive.com. "Their playoffs were postponed, but they are on for this Saturday to resume their playoffs. So it's kind of interesting that Michigan High School playoffs and the NFL playoffs were coinciding this year."