Craig Robertson may have started his NFL career with the Cleveland Browns, but he’s making sure to retire with the New Orleans Saints. Robertson appeared in 78 games for New Orleans from 2016 to 2020, and on Friday he announced his retirement from playing professional football from the team facility accompanied by his family and Saints head coach Dennis Allen.
Allen was complimentary of Robertson’s influence on the team, saying that he, “was really part of the foundation of building the culture in the way that we wanted to operate defensively.”
Robertson lived and breathed Saints football, initially starting on defense during the 2016 and 2017 seasons before accepting a role focused on special teams in 2018. He spent the next couple of years covering punts and kickoffs and was known for his energetic presence on the sidelines.
Now, the 34-year-old father of four can shift gears again and focus his attention on the next phase in his life. He said that some teams struck by COVID-19 absences reached out during the 2021 season, when he was a free agent, but he preferred to wait for the right time to hang up his cleats as a Saint. Robertson added, “I’m a family man now.”
Good for Robertson on going out on his own terms. The Saints won so many games the last few years because of the work he and players like him put in despite being buried on the depth chart. His contributions are worth celebrating.
