Jonathan Martin officially announces his retirement from NFL

Carolina Panthers offensive tackle Jonathan Martin has retired from the NFL.

Carolina Panthers offensive tackle Jonathan Martin has retired from the NFL, he announced on Twitter on Monday.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported last month that the 25-year-old Martin would retire rather than undergo back surgery and potentially miss the 2015 season.

Martin started nine games for the 49ers last season and was waived in March. The next day, the Panthers claimed the offensive tackle off waivers.

As a rookie in 2012, Martin started all 16 games for the Miami Dolphins. He started seven games for Miami in 2013 before accusing teammate Richie Incognito of bullying him, prompting an investigation into the Dolphins' locker room culture. Incognito received an eight-game suspension.

According to Black and Blue Review, Martin also tweeted and deleted, “But, in the end, football was just a job, albeit a fun and well-paying one. Being in a wheelchair at age 50 isn't worth any amount of money.”

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