Eric Wright is retiring from football at the age of 28.
San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh first revealed the possibility of Wright hanging the cleats up at his press conference Tuesday, and NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport has confirmed that Wright has indeed made his decision. The team later officially announced the cornerback's decision.
It's surprising news for Wright, who is only two years removed from signing a monster five-year, $37.5 million contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Wright also played with Detroit and Cleveland in his seven-year career.
There was no guarantee that Wright would have even made the 49ers' roster, although the team is short at cornerback with Tramaine Brock, Chris Culliver and Chris Cook atop the depth chart. Culliver, like Wright, has had off-field problems in his career. Wright lost a lot of money from his PED suspension in 2012, and he had a DUI last offseason.
He's another reminder of how fast things can change in the NFL. In just two years, he's gone from a highly sought after free agent to a borderline roster player that decided he was better off just calling it quits.
In the latest edition of the "Around The League Podcast," the heroes talk "Hard Knocks" before delving into a new batch of rookie whispers.
