Laurent Duvernay-Tardif is putting his NFL career on hold for the medical field once again.
Duvernay-Tardif, a Quebec native, will begin a residency program in the Montreal area in July according to the Associated Press.
Because of that, the 31-year-old who became a free agent after his lone season with the Jets in 2021 is putting football in the rearview mirror… for now.
Duvernay-Tardif said he’s going to “prioritize medicine,” adding “we’ll see” regarding his NFL future.
After taking care of the medical requirements ahead of him, Duvernay-Tardif plans to see if there is a fit for him come September. That’s when the NFL’s regular season begins and when he’ll be available.
Duvernay-Tardif was a sixth-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2014, winning the Super Bowl with KC in 2020. In November 2021, he was traded to New York.
In 2020, Duvernay-Tardif opted out of playing for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was the first NFL player to opt out.
During that time he worked at a COVID care facility near Montreal. Upon his return, he did not have a starting job with the Chiefs. leading to his trade to the Jets.
In February, Duvernay-Tardif did express interest in re-signing in New York.
In eight games with the Jets last season, he started seven of those. Pro Football Focus graded Duvernay-Tardif a bit of a below average mark of 53.2 in 2021 for his efforts in New York.
