Longtime NFL veteran Eric Decker, the husband of singer Jessie James Decker, announced his retirement this weekend, 247 Sports reports. The veteran wide receiver announced the news via Instagram in an emotional post Sunday, writing that “it is time to hang my helmet up and start a new chapter in my life.”
The 31-year-old, who also stars in the E! reality show Eric & Jessie: Game On with his wife, wrote, “It has been my childhood dream an dry passion to play the game of football.”
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“I was very fortunate and blessed to have had the opportunity to have those dreams fulfilled and to have played with such extremely talented and hard-working teammates, coaches and staff,” he continued. “This has been a passion inside of me since I was a little boy but I know now it is time to hang my helmet up and start a new chapter in my life,” he continued. “I love football and I always will. It will continue to be a part of my life. I’m looking forward to spending more time with my wife and kids.”
He ended his post by giving “a special thank you” to his “family, friends and fans for all your support on this incredible journey. It’s been an amazing chapter in my life,” he wrote. “I look forward to the future and the many adventures ahead!”
Eric and Jessie, 30, welcomed their third child together, son Forrest Bradley Decker, in April. The two are also parents to their 4-year-old daughter Vivianne and 2-year-old son Eric.
Jessie has not yet made a statement via social media about her husband’s retirement. Earlier this month, she posted a sweet family photo with the entire Decker crew sitting in the grass after Decker worked out with the New England Patriots, with whom he hoped to find a home.
Family is football pic.twitter.com/eZ2mT9H8sc
— Jessie James Decker (@JessieJDecker) August 15, 2018
“Family is football,” she captioned the image.
247 Sports reports that Decker’s dreams of playing with the Patriots were dashed by inconsistency and dropped passes throughout the preseason. “There’s no excuses for it. It’s something I obviously have to address,” Decker told the Providence Journal earlier this month. “You know, it’s something you work through. In my mind, that’s why God created practice. It’s just to be able to be better and kind of flush that out. But again, my job is to catch the football. I’ve got to do better in that field.”
Last year, Decker played for the Tennessee Titans before signing a free agent deal with the Patriots. He played eight NFL seasons with the Denver Broncos, New York Jets and Titans, finishing with 439 receptions for 5,816 yards and 74 touchdowns.
