Dolphins left tackle Terron Armstead’s retirement was precipitated by a lingering knee injury that wasn’t getting better, left him unable to walk under his own power after games and forced him to use pain medication.
Armstead [said on the Nightcap Show](https://x.com/NightcapShow_/status/1930655170423083336) that he decided to walk away when he realized, “I just can’t perform at the same level.”
The 33-year-old Armstead played 12 NFL seasons but said a knee injury that he initially suffered in 2015 never fully healed.
“I’ve been dealing with a knee since my third year in the league,” Armstead said. “I didn’t see a practice field at all, and not because I didn’t want to or the Dolphins just wanted me to rest. It’s like I literally couldn’t walk. After a game on Sunday, I wouldn’t be able to walk on my own, under my own power, until Wednesday, Thursday. So I was only able to play under the pain meds. I couldn’t put any pressure on my knee, so it was like, I can’t keep doing that to myself.”
Armstead’s story is a common one, as life in the NFL often takes a painful toll on its players. Eventually, Armstead decided he couldn’t do it anymore.
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