Veteran running back DeMarco Murray has today announced that he is retiring from the NFL at the age of 30, after seven years in the league. Murray, who had been rehabbing a torn MCL he suffered in Week 16, laughed at the notion that his time as an NFL starter was over in mid-January, saying, "I feel very confident in myself. Excited for the future. Excited for my future. I know what type of player I am."
Just last week, Murray had stated his intentions of signing with a team before training camp, telling ESPN's Adam Schefter that he "had a lot of discussions with four or five teams." Apparently, he has decided not to pursue any of those opportunities.
After being selected out of Oklahoma by the Dallas Cowboys in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft, Murray had his breakout Pro Bowl season in 2013. He followed that up with a stellar 2014 campaign in which he led the league in rushing with 1,845 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground en route to another Pro Bowl selection as well as first-team All-Pro honors.
Following a season with the Philadelphia Eagles, Murray spent the last two years of his career with the Tennessee Titans, which included a Pro Bowl season in 2016 when he led the NFL in rushing yards with 1,287. He was the Titans' starter in the 2017 season as well, although he split carries Derrick Henry, who quickly established himself as the type of player who is deserving of more touches. In 2017, Murray rushed for 659 yards and six touchdowns on 184 carries while Henry compiled 744 rushing yards and five touchdowns on just 176 carries in his second NFL season.