NFL News: Another Early Retirement As TE John Carlson Walks Away From The Game

After just seven seasons in the National Football League, or NFL, John Carlson has announced his retirement from football at the age of 30. Carlson made the retirement official with a statement released by his most recent team, the Arizona Cardinals.

"After much thought and consideration, my wife Danielle and I know that this is best decision for us," Carlson said in the official statement. "I was blessed to play seven seasons in the NFL for three tremendous organizations - the Cardinals, Vikings and Seahawks. I will always treasure the experiences and relationships made during that time but I'm also very excited about the next phase of my life and what's ahead."

Carlson, who played with Notre Dame in college football, was drafted in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft as the 38th overall pick by the Seattle Seahawks, where he played from 2008 to 2011. He signed and played with the Minnesota Vikings in 2012 and 2013 before landing in Arizona last season.

Carlson signed a two-year deal worth nearly $5 million with the Cardinals and will leave about half that on the table with the early retirement. For his career, Carlson accumulated 2,256 receiving yards on 210 catches with 15 touchdowns. His best season came in his rookie year when he had 627 receiving yards on 55 catches with 5 touchdowns. NFL early retirement, usually before or at 30 years old, has been becoming a trend in the league recently.

Four notable players have walked away from the game in 2015 including 30 year old Patrick Willis, 26 year old Jake Locker, 27 year old Jason Worilds and 24 year old Chris Borland. All five players gave up money or potential to earn more by retiring early from the game.

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