Linebacker Markus Golden announced his retirement on Wednesday after nine NFL seasons, mostly with the Arizona Cardinals.
Golden, drafted by Arizona in the second round from Missouri in 2015, recorded 51 career sacks, including a career-high 12 1/2 with the Cardinals in 2016.
He played last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, appearing in 16 games and earning four sacks. Pittsburgh put the 33-year-old Golden on the reserved/retired list on August 9.
“I’ve officially retired from the NFL after playing the game I’ve loved all my life,” Golden said in a social media statement.
“I feel truly blessed to have been able to live out the dreams and goals I set for myself as a kid.”
Golden, a native of St. Louis, played four seasons with Arizona before joining the New York Giants in 2019. He had 10 sacks for New York that year and was then traded back to Arizona midway through the 2020 season.
Golden stayed with the Cardinals until 2022 and was a well-liked player.
Former three-time AP Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt, who was Golden’s teammate in Arizona for two seasons, described him as “one of my favorite teammates of all time.”