According to the NFL Players Association, the average NFL career lasts approximately 3.3 years – meaning 13 seasons is beyond extraordinary.
That’s how long former New York Giants defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins played before announcing his retirement on Thursday.
The Giants selected Hankins with a 2nd-round pick (No. 49 overall) in the 2013 NFL Draft.
“Veteran DT Johnathan Hankins tells me he is retiring from the NFL after 12 seasons,” NFL insider Jordan Schultz wrote on his official X account on Thursday. “An outstanding career for the former 2nd-round pick out of Ohio State, who was drafted by the Giants and also played for the Colts, Raiders, Cowboys, and Seahawks. Hankins appeared in 169 career games and was among the league’s premier run-stuffing interior defensive linemen.”
Hankins was a full-time starter for the Giants for 3 seasons, from 2014 to 2016, and started all 16 regular-season games in 2014 and 2016. He also played for the Indianapolis Colts, Las Vegas Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, and Seattle Seahawks.
Hankins missed the entire 2025 season with the Seahawks following an offseason back injury. The Seahawks released him on December 3 — just 2 months before Seattle won the Super Bowl. He finished his career with 142 starts in 169 career games.
“Guys like Hankins never got the flashiest stat lines, but ask any linebacker or defensive coordinator having a guy who ate up double teams for 169 games is invaluable,” Jess Hoops wrote on their official X account. “Hell of a career for the Ohio State product!”
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