Former KC Chiefs OL Laurent Duvernay-Tardif Announces Retirement From Football

One of the better stories in recent NFL years is coming to an end from a football perspective, as Duvernay-Tardif is stepping away from the league for good.

All good things must come to an end in the NFL, but some players have callings and passions that may be even bigger than football. Offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif likely fits under that umbrella, and the former sixth-round pick is hanging up his cleats for good. 

Duvernay-Tardif, a member of the Kansas City Chiefs for over half a decade as an offensive guard, announced his retirement on Thursday morning via Instagram. His message, in its entirety and also translated from French to English, can be read below: 

It’s been 9 years since I’ve had the opportunity to evolve in the NFL, and sometimes I still don’t get over the opportunity to experience this adventure. Being a professional athlete is such a privilege as well as an enriching human and personal experience. Wins, losses and injuries have been so many opportunities to learn how to win and lose as a team while dealing with great emotions.

In 2014 I had the honor of being coached by Coach Reid. Probably one of the only NFL Coaches that has positively seen my desire to complete my med at McGill and support me throughout my 7 years with the organization. Being able to count on a leadership that believes that to perform as a player you need to thrive off the field was an unprecedented opportunity for me. Thank you to the Chiefs, Jets and McGill players and staff for supporting me in this challenge.

Thank you to Sasha, my friend and right-hand man who un hesitatedly agreed to represent me as an agent while he was studying for his 2013 bar exam. I would never have been able to sail to the beach without you. You always believed in us more than I believed in myself. What makes me proud about all of this is that over the past 9 years, a Super Bowl, an opt out, a trade to the Jets, a few contracts, and countless projects together, our friendship is even stronger than ever.

Thank you Flo my mistress You've always known how to position yourself in this unique ecosystem so intelligently. You've known how to stay yourself in this crazy adventure—partner in all times, the best and the most difficult. This experience couldn't have been the same without you.

And thank you to each and everyone of you for the unconditional and unwavering support you have shown me throughout these 9 years. Blessed to have experienced this with you.

Although closing the door on this stage in my life will be difficult, I am serene in this decision and I walk away feeling accomplished. I see this incredible experience not as an end, but a stepping stone to other projects.

Duvernay-Tardif entered the league in 2014 as a Day 3 draft selection by Kansas City, later going on to play in 60 games — starting 57 of them — for the team over the next five seasons. He was a member of the team for the prime years of the Alex Smith era at quarterback, as well as the early stages of the organization's shift to Patrick Mahomes. Duvernay-Tardif was also on the Chiefs' Super Bowl LIV squad that brought a championship back to the franchise for the first time in half a century.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit shortly after that aforementioned Super Bowl, Duvernay-Tardif became the first NFL player to opt out of his contract for the upcoming season as he instead put his doctorate in medicine to good use. Over the ensuing months, he worked in a long-term care facility in Canada. 

In late 2020, Duvernay-Tardif was named one of SI's Sportsperson of the Year winners. Here's what Dr. Jenny Thompson wrote at the time about his nomination and successful win:

As one of few Canadians to win an NFL title, a key protector of MVP QB Patrick Mahomes and the starting right guard on a burgeoning dynasty in Kansas City, Laurent was already a sports hero. But it’s like he could see that now, more than ever, our society needs medical heroes, and it doesn’t matter whether you’re the one making decisions in the intensive care unit, or you’re giving orderlies and nurses a much-needed break. He’s more of a hero now than he ever would be on the field.

After returning to the Chiefs for the 2021 campaign, Duvernay-Tardif was traded to the New York Jets in November in exchange for tight end Daniel Brown. He'd go on to play in eight games for New York over the course of that campaign, also appearing in five more regular-season contests last season. Now, he steps away from football permanently and steps into the world of making an impact in other ways. 

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