The NFL offseason is anything but quiet, with teams and players making important decisions months before Week 1. This week, a veteran player who got to team up with the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Trevor Lawrence revealed that he wonāt come back next year.
On Thursday, seasoned center Mitch Morse announced his decision to retire from the NFL. The letter was shared by the Jacksonville Jaguars, with whom he spent the 2024 season protecting Lawrence.
āThe things Iāll remember and cherish most about my career are the relationships and bonds I created with my teammates, both on and off of the field,ā Morseās statement read. āNothing can replace that, and I will miss it dearly.ā
Morse, who turns 33 in April, is hanging up his cleats after 10 years in the NFL, where he played for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills before landing in Jacksonville. The Missouri product made sure to thank all three of his former teams in his announcement.
Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs waits under center Mitch Morse #61 for the snap during the second quarter of the game against the against the Baltimore Ravens at Arrowhead Stadium on December 9, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri.
Morseās journey in the NFL
A second-round pick by the Chiefs in the 2015 NFL Draft, Morse was in Kansas City during Mahomesā first two years in the league before leaving for the Bills in 2019. In Buffalo, he teamed up with Allen through 2023, eventually spending his final year in the NFL alongside Lawrence in Jacksonville.
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Morse started all 156 games heās played in his NFL career, including 13 postseason appearances. His career record shows more wins than losses (98-58), counting 92-51 in the regular season.
Mitch Morse #60 and Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills celebrate after a touchdown in the first half of a preseason against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on August 26, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois.
Morse frees up cap space but leaves hole at Jaguars
Having signed a two-season, $10.5 million deal with the Jaguars as a free agent last year, Morse is giving up on the year left in his contract. This leaves Jacksonville with more cap space for the 2025 NFL season, but also leaves a huge void at the position.
2022 third-round pick Luke Fortner emerges as his direct replacement, but the Jaguars will probably try to add depth at the position in April. Jacksonville will have 10 picks in the upcoming Draft.
