DENVER — Former Broncos defensive end Derek Wolfe, who missed all of last year with Baltimore because of a hip injury, retired from the NFL on Friday.
Wolfe and his family attended practice in the morning, receiving an ovation from Broncos fans.
“I started it here and I wanted to end it here,” he said of making his announcement through the Broncos. “I didn’t get to do it the way I wanted to — I obviously wanted a fairy-tale-coming-off-the-field, but in the trenches, you don’t really get that.”
Wolfe, 32, was injured last summer during a joint practice with Carolina months after signing a three-year, $12 million contract extension with the Ravens. The Ravens released Wolfe last month with an injury settlement.
“I’ve had two hip surgeries this year already and it’s not looking like I’ll need any more surgeries in the future, but you never know because I still have some issues with my back,” he said.
Wolfe was a second-round pick (No. 36 overall) by the Broncos in 2012 and played in 108 games (all starts) in eight years for the club. He totaled 33 sacks, including four years of at least five sacks, for the Broncos.
In December 2017, Wolfe underwent a foraminotomy — a surgery that enlarges that area in the spinal column to relieve pressure on compressed nerves. A small drill was used to shave the opening, which was originally 3-4 millimeters wide. The issue was a by-product of a spinal cord injury sustained in 2013.
“I’m super grateful and very emotional,” Wolfe said. “I’m happy to be done with the game because the injuries were just piling up and piling up.”
Wolfe appeared in seven playoff games (five for the Broncos, including the Super Bowl win over the Panthers). He left the Broncos in March 2020, signing a one-year contract with Baltimore. In his only season with the Ravens, he played in 14 games (eight starts) and had 51 tackles and one sack.
In 122 regular-season games (116 starts), Wolfe had 34 sacks and 350 tackles.
After Friday’s practice, Wolfe addressed the current Broncos team.
“I told them, ‘Look, you guys finally have the piece you’ve been missing and that’s (quarterback) Russell Wilson — follow his lead and he knows what he’s doing,’ ” he said.
Next up for Wolfe is more time for family, bow hunting and possibly a media career.
“(The injuries) were getting bad and it was time to call it,” he said. “I focused so much energy on football, now I can focus on other things. I can focus on being a husband, I can focus on being a father to my kids.”
