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Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Sam Hubbard announced his retirement from the NFL on Wednesday after seven seasons with the team.

Hubbard, 29, was voted a team captain in each of his final four seasons with the Bengals. He was the longest-tenured player on the team’s roster.

The Cincinnati native recorded 41 tackles and two sacks in 14 games (all starts) in 2024 before sustaining a season-ending PCL injury in a game against the Tennessee Titans. Prior to that, Hubbard had a 2-yard touchdown catch in the Bengals’ 37-27 victory over the Titans.

“I want to send a sincere thank you to my teammates, coaches, trainers, support staff, Bengals ownership, and the NFL for everything you all have done for me,” Hubbard said on social media. “I could not have done any of this alone. To the fans — Who Dey Nation — I thank you the most; you inspired me. From the years of struggle and adversity to Super Bowl LVI, you never stopped believing. I hope I made you proud.”

Hubbard had 398 tackles, 38.5 sacks, six forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries in 104 career games (88 starts) since he was selected by Cincinnati in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

Hubbard also was a two-time nominee for the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year award. The award recognizes a league player for their work off the field, as well as excellence on the field.

“Sam always has been and always will be a wonderful part of the Bengals organization and the entire Cincinnati community,” Bengals president Mike Brown said in a statement. “Growing up here, he was a top youth athlete on local gridirons and lacrosse fields before becoming a standout football player at Ohio State. We were fortunate to draft him in 2018, and we immediately knew that we added an outstanding player and an even better person to our team.

“Sam epitomizes what you want in a player — he’s a great teammate, a talented athlete and a passionate community member. He helped us win a lot of football games, and he had a number of very memorable plays over the years. His 98-yard fumble recovery return in the wild card win over Baltimore is one of the most iconic touchdowns in team history. It has been my honor to watch him play his entire NFL career for his hometown team. We thank him for the memories he created as ‘Cincinnati’s Own.'”

–Field Level Media