Five-time Pro Bowl linebacker C.J. Mosley is calling it a career.
Mosley is retiring from the NFL after 11 years split between the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets, the linebacker announced on social media. CBS Sports originally reported Mosley's retirement.
“Today, it is time to wake up from my childhood dream and share it with the next generation," Mosley said toward the end of his retirement video. "I spent my whole life and career building my legacy. Now it’s time to start a new chapter with new dreams."
Mosley steps away from football with 1,083 tackles, 40 QB hits, 12 sacks, 12 interceptions, 10 forced fumbles and two defensive touchdowns. A pivotal piece on both his NFL teams, he compiled seven seasons with 100-plus tackles, falling under the century mark only once during campaigns in which he played double-digit games.
The 2013 Butkus Award winner and SEC Defensive Player of the Year with Alabama, Mosley joined the Ravens as the No. 17 overall pick in the 2014 draft. He made an immediate impact as a day one starter and reached his first Pro Bowl as a rookie, an accolade he supplemented with a second-team All-Pro selection and second-place finish in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.
He would go onto make the Pro Bowl in four of his five seasons in Baltimore as a key leader in the linebacking corps, eventually cashing in big on a five-year deal with New York in March 2019.
His Gang Green tenure endured more ups and downs, beset with injuries at times and also stalled early on when he opted out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mosley played just two games in his inaugural 2019 season with the Jets due to a groin injury, but despite a long hiatus that stretched until the beginning of the 2021 campaign, he returned to form as soon as he returned to the field. He was a crucial voice and playmaker for the Jets, and placed top 10 in the league in tackles during each season from 2021-2023.
He made his final Pro Bowl and was named a second-team All-Pro for the fifth time during the 2022 campaign.
Last season was again cut short by injury, as Mosley played in four games for a struggling Jets team and was eventually placed on injured reserve due to a neck issue. New York released the LB in March.
Three months later, on his 33rd birthday, Mosley has opted to hang up the cleats.