The end has arrived for Jakeem Grant's NFL career, but the former Miami Dolphins draft pick can leave knowing he made his mark.
During his time in the NFL, Grant was one of the most prolific returners in the league and an argument can be made that no one ever did better for the Dolphins.
Grant announced his retirement via Instagram on Wednesday, though that seemed like a formality considering he hadn't played since the 2021 season and was released by the Atlanta Falcons not once but twice last year in a matter of days after being signed to the practice squad.
"Today, I close a chapter with gratitude in my heart," Grant wrote on Instagram. "Football gave me purpose, and every moment was a blessing. Thank you to everyone who was part of this journey. Here’s to the next adventure."
Grant played for the Dolphins from 2016 until he was traded to the Chicago Bears for a late-round pick during that 2021 season.
He became a second-team All-Pro return specialist that season, but sustained season-ending injuries while a member of the Cleveland Browns in 2022 and 2023, first a ruptured Achilles tendon then a torn his patellar tendon.
After signing with the Atlanta Falcons as a free agent in 2024, he was released three times, once in training camp and twice during the season. The weird part is that the two regular season instances involved getting released from the practice squad the week he was signed, before the actual game. That's a rare occurrence, let alone happening twice in a season, even rarer having it happen twice with the same player.
GRANT'S IMPRESSIVE DOLPHINS RETURN DAYS
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Grant's NFL career, though, will be remembered for his time in Miami, where he returned kicks better than anybody else.
Grant holds the Dolphins all-time records for most kick returns for a touchdown with five, is first with three punt returns for touchdowns and tied for second with two kickoff returns for touchdowns, trailing only Mercury Morris' three.
His last return for a touchdown was an 88-yard score in a 28-17 victory against the Los Angeles Rams in Tua Tagovailoa's first NFL start in 2020.
Besides Grant, the other player who would merit consideration as the top returner in Dolphins history would include Ted Ginn Jr. because Grant and Ginn were the two who excelled at both punt and kickoff returns.
But Grant gets the slight nod here.
Grant was a sixth-round draft choice for the Dolphins in 2016. He was part of a class that included Laremy Tunsil, Xavien Howard, and Kenyan Drake.
He spent five seasons with Miami before being traded to the Chicago Bears in October 2021. He was traded for a 2023 sixth-round pick, which the Dolphins ultimately traded to the Kansas City Chiefs as part of the Tyreek Hill deal.
Grant played in 81 games with eight starts. He has caught 100 passes for 1,140 yards and scored 17 touchdowns. He added a touchdown on the ground.
His best season as a receiver was in 2020 when he had 36 receptions for 373 yards and four scores.