Seahawks center Austin Blythe has announced his retirement from the NFL. Blythe shared the news in a post on Instagram.
Here is the complete text from his message:
“I always told myself I wouldn’t do some long winded retirement post, but I’m not sure how to leave behind a game that’s afforded myself, and my family, so many opportunities without giving it at least some words. The last 7 years have been nothing short of amazing. For a short, unathletic, undersized kid from Iowa, I’ve played a lot of football, met countless coaches and teammates that I can call friends, and made enough memories for myself and my family to last a lifetime. I am so grateful, and extremely blessed, to have played the game for any amount of time, let alone 7 years. The game has been a huge part of our lives for the last 12 years, dating all the way back to college. For everything the game has taught me about life, I will cherish it forever. To all of the people who helped me achieve everything I could have dreamed of, thank you. I cannot express enough what each of you mean to me. From high school coaches, college coaches, NFL coaches, each organization I was lucky enough to play for, friends, family….I could not have done anything without your support. Again, THANK YOU!”
Obviously this means the Seahawks will be in the market for a new starting center in 2023.
If Seattle wants to replace Blythe with another veteran, this is a pretty good year to do it. Several high-end centers will be hitting the market two weeks from tomorrow when the new league year begins.
They could also choose to wait for the 2023 NFL draft, where the top-ranked center in this class is John Michael Schwartz from Minnesota.
