Markus Golden retires after a nine-year career.
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Markus Golden officially announced his retirement on Wednesday, concluding a nine-season NFL career.
Golden, who spent time with the Arizona Cardinals, New York Giants, and Pittsburgh Steelers, shared the news on Instagram.
Although the Steelers had already placed the 33-year-old on the reserve/retired list earlier this month, Golden publicly confirmed his retirement on Wednesday.
Markus Golden’s farewell message
#KeepHuntin pic.twitter.com/XMVJKaT8Io
— Markus Golden (@markusgolden) August 21, 2024
In an Instagram post, Golden shared his heartfelt retirement announcement: “Football has always been more than just a game to me. I’m officially retiring from the NFL after playing the sport I’ve loved my whole life. I’m truly thankful for the chance to fulfill the dreams and goals I set as a child.”
He went on to express his gratitude: “A big thank you to God, my family, friends, St. Louis, the Matthew Dickey Boys & Girls Club, Affton, Hutchinson Community College, Mizzou, the Arizona Cardinals, New York Giants, and Pittsburgh Steelers for helping me chase my dreams. I’m also deeply appreciative of all the teammates and coaches I had the honor of working with.”
A University of Missouri alumnus, Golden was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He spent his first four seasons with the Cardinals before joining the New York Giants for a year and a half.
Golden suffered a torn ACL early in the 2017 season, which affected his performance the following year. Despite playing 11 games in 2018, he struggled to return to his previous form.
He returned to the Cardinals for an additional two and a half seasons before ending his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2023.
At 33, Golden experienced three playoff runs, finishing his career with the Steelers. He was also part of the 2015 Arizona Cardinals team that reached the NFC Championship Game.
Golden closed with gratitude to the fans: “Thank you to all the amazing fans! Your passion and energy drove me, and I’m grateful for each and every one of you.”
Golden’s nine-year career
Golden concluded his NFL career with a total of 343 tackles, 68 tackles for loss, and 51 sacks over 127 games. His career also included one interception, 11 forced fumbles, and five fumble recoveries.
A highlight of his career was a fumble recovery touchdown with the Giants, where he scooped up a fumble from Tom Brady and ran 42 yards to score.
His most notable season was his sole full year with the Giants, where he achieved career highs with 72 tackles and 10 sacks. Golden also recorded double-digit sack totals with the Cardinals, notching 12.5 sacks in 2016 and 11 sacks in 2021.
Throughout his career, Markus Golden had three seasons with double-digit sacks, with his best year being 2016 with the Cardinals, where he tallied 12.5 sacks. He also had 10 sacks with the Giants in 2019 and 11 sacks with the Cardinals in 2021.
In his final season with the Steelers, Golden played all 16 games, amassing 20 tackles, six tackles for loss, and four sacks. Although he entered free agency this offseason, he has decided to retire from professional football.
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