Former Las Vegas Raiders running back Jalen Richard has announced his retirement from the NFL. The former undrafted free agent hasn’t been on an NFL roster for the last two seasons and has walked away from football at the age of 30.
“I retire today with gratitude and excitement to know I won’t be losing the game but just transitioning to continue to leave a mark on the game,” Richard wrote in a July 18 Instagram post. “Here’s to retirement and chasing the new dream! Coach Richard loading …..”
Richard only ever played games for the Raiders. He was signed by the team as an undrafted free agent in 2016. He quickly carved out a role and had 84 rushing yards on just three carries in his first-ever game against the New Orleans Saints. He is one of only four players to have a 75-yard or more rushing touchdown in his NFL debut.
Outside of his rookie season, the Raiders never relied on Richard to run the ball much. However, he was able to maintain a roster spot due to his strong pass protection and ability to make plays in the passing game. In 2018, he had 68 catches for 607 yards. He was also on the only two Raiders teams that have made the playoffs since 2002.
The odds were always against Richard as he’s only 5-foot-8 and went to a small school in Southern Miss. Even though he couldn’t land on a roster the last two seasons, his career was certainly a huge success considering where he came from.
Former Teammates Show Jalen Richard Love
Based on the reaction to Richard’s retirement, he was certainly a beloved teammate. The comments on his Instagram post were flooded with kind words.
“My Brother, congrats & continue being YOU. Love You Gang,” Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby wrote in a comment.
Former Raiders offensive lineman Donald Penn, who was with Richard during his rookie season, also commented.
“Congratulations on a hell of a career I’m glad I got to witness it I still remember that Saints game where you took that thang to the house and started our comeback rally,” Penn wrote.
Even former Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper left a comment for the running back.
“Congrats fam, you showed up and showed out against all odds,” Cooper wrote. “Major respect!”
Former Raiders quarterback Derek Carr commented a goat emoji and many more players showed Richard love.
What’s Next for Jalen Richard?
Richard is only 30 so he’s still young enough to make a career change. However, it looks like he plans to still be in the world of football. He mentioned in his retirement announcement that coaching could be what’s next.
There’s no word on where he’ll be coaching or specifically what he’ll be coaching. It’s possible he could coach in the high school ranks but he could also land as a low-level assistant on an NFL team. He’s young so he’ll need to start building up his coaching resume before he’s going to land any high-level jobs.
There are more and more former players getting into coaching and having a lot of success. Richard could be a name to watch in a few years.
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