Jermon Bushrod retirement from Saints 'felt like it was right'

Two-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman signs one-day contract and formally ends 12-year career.

New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Jermon Bushrod (74) against the Los Angeles Rams during a preseason game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Saints defeated the Rams 28-0. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

NEW ORLEANS -- The first time Jermon Bushrod considered retirement was after his 10th NFL season.

At that point, the two-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman weighed his options and decided to keep playing. So he did. Then came last season. The Virginia native returned to the New Orleans Saints in 2018 for what turned out to be his final season as a professional football player.

“I’ll be 55 years old and still feel like I can go block somebody,” the 35-year-old said Thursday, just after the Saints announced his retirement from football.

The free-agent Bushrod will sign a one-day contract Friday with the franchise he helped win a Super Bowl in 2009. The fourth-round selection in the 2007 NFL Draft played the first six of his 12 NFL seasons with the Saints. He then played three seasons with the Bears and two with the Dolphins before his return to New Orleans.

Four or five teams contacted Bushrod about playing this season, he said. One team general manager called him as recent as last week.

“We had a lot of great years here,” Bushrod said. “We won that Super Bowl here. I had the opportunity to come back here. This place just means a lot to me. As far as timing, I felt like it was right. I got another child on the way. I need to be there for my kids. I need to run around like I want to and be able to be there for them. Right now it just felt like the right decision to make.”

Bushrod visited with players and support staff before the preseason game Thursday against the Miami Dolphins. He spoke briefly with Sean Payton. The coach said it was especially important for a player like Bushrod to have a chance at an official send-off. "He's a real good player, a great teammate," Payton said.

Franchise rushing leader Deuce McAllister had a similar experience to Bushrod when he returned to the Saints for a playoff win during the team's Super Bowl run.

“It’s closure,” said McAllister, who played his final game in 2008. “That’s what it is. Really, just thankful for the organization to give you that opportunity. From a player standpoint, it’s an opportunity to have closure and just put the bow-tie on the career. I don’t know if you ever really lose the itch. From a closure standpoint, that’s what it helps you do, to allow you to move on to the next step in your life.”