Vikings right tackle Phil Loadholt retired from the game on Monday.
“I first want to thank the Wilf Family for the wonderful opportunity they gave me seven years ago,” Loadholt said in a statement. “This chapter in my life is closing and I look forward to seeing what the next one brings. I’ll always love this game and the opportunity to do something I dreamed about since I was seven years old. But, my body is telling me it’s time to hang up my cleats.”
He missed the entire 2015 season after tearing his left Achilles during a pre-season game against Tampa Bay last August, having missed five games of the 2014 season with a torn pectoral muscle.
He had been a starter for the previous six years since he was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2009 draft, 54th overall.
The 6’8″ 30-year-old from Colorado, who played college ball in Oklahoma, has played 89 games for the Vikings, according to Vikings.com.
The Vikings already have a replacement in place, having signed former Cincinatti Bengals right tackle Andre Smith on a one-year deal this past March.
ESPN notes Loadholt signed a $25 million extension in 2013 and should he retire, will become the 14th NFL player aged 30 or younger to retire this year.
