Linebacker Markus Golden was an Arizona Cardinals fan favorite. He had two successful stints with the Cardinals. After nine seasons in the NFL, he is calling it a career.
Golden has announced his retirement from the NFL via social media.
It was not a surprise. After signing a deal this month to join the Pittsburgh Steelers, he was placed on the reserve/retired list, so this announcement was a couple of weeks in coming.
In his post, he wrote:
Football has always been more than just a sport to me, I’ve officially retired from the NFL after playing the game I’ve loved all my life. I feel truly blessed to have been able to live out the dreams and goals I set for myself as a kid.
A Big thank you to God, my family, friends, St. Louis, Matthew Dickey Boys & Girls Club, Affton, Hutchinson Community College, Mizzou, The Arizona Cardinals, New York Giants, and Pittsburgh Steelers for giving me the opportunity to pursue my dreams. I’m also incredibly grateful to all the teammates and coaches I had the privilege to work with along the way. To all the incredible fans, Thank You! Your passion and energy fueled me, and I’m grateful for each and every one of you.
He was a beloved teammate, as you can tell from the comments from scores of former Cardinals teammates.
Golden was a second-round pick in 2015. He played four seasons for the Cardinals, a year and a half with the New York Giants, followed by another two and a half seasons in Arizona before spending last season with the Steelers.
He finished his career with 51 sacks, 35.5 of them with the Cardinals. He had three seasons with at least 10 sacks. His 35.5 career sacks with the Cardinals are 12th in franchise history.
Golden was a great Cardinal and made an impact both on and off the field. We wish him the best in the next stage of his life and career.
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