James Hurst, an offensive lineman for the New Orleans Saints, revealed his retirement via social media. Last season, he shared playing time across left and right guard positions as well as left tackle, making a total of 15 starts.

The versatile Hurst, 32, was an undrafted free agent out of the University of North Carolina who played for the Baltimore Ravens (2014-2019) and Saints (2020-23). He started 44 of 90 games for the Ravens, and 51 of 60 games for the Saints.

“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,” he wrote on Instagram. “Thank you for the laughs and the memories,” he wrote to teammates. “Thank you for your effort and risking your bodies alongside me because I can’t talk football without recognizing the dangers of the sport and the sacrifices that each of you make.

In his last season, Hurst started as left guard in 13 out of his 15 games, expressing gratitude for the teamwork and friendships forged both on and off the field in pursuit of shared objectives.