SPORTS

Veteran announces retirement, leaves significant gap in Saints' offensive line

Derek Payne

Jul 6, 2024 — 1 min read

Hurst announced his retirement on Instagram, in part writing, "Twenty-four of my thirty-two years of life have been spent training for and playing this game and retiring will be a huge, yet exciting, change in my life."

NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans Saints offensive lineman James Hurst announced his retirement Wednesday afternoon via Instagram, marking the end of a decade-long NFL career.

"Every year playing this sport has been a blessing from God. Football, and the people around it, have played a huge part in shaping me into the man I am today. Twenty-four of my thirty-two years of life have been spent training for and playing this game, and retiring will be a huge, yet exciting, change in my life," Hurst shared in his post.

Hurst, who played 10 seasons in the NFL, joined the Saints in 2020 and started 51 games over four seasons, demonstrating versatility at both tackle and guard positions.

The Saints are now facing a critical need to bolster their offensive line, with only two starters confirmed to return for the 2024 season: guard Cesar Ruiz and center Erik McCoy. The status of right tackle Ryan Ramczyk remains uncertain, and left tackle Trevor Penning has yet to meet expectations in his first two seasons.

With the 14th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, it is highly anticipated that the Saints will prioritize selecting a new offensive lineman to fill the void left by Hurst’s departure.

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