NFL 2024: Most notable players to retire this offseason following shocking Shaquil Barrett and Kenyan Drake announcements

This one came out of the blue really. Barrett had signed a one-year deal with the Miami Dolphins in March after being released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was being relied on to play a key role in the Dolphins' pass rush early in the season due to a raft of injuries in the camp. However, he abruptly decided to retire, citing a desire to spend more quality time with his family.

An undrafted free agent from Colorado State in 2015, the 31-year-old Barrett spent five seasons with the Buccaneers, including the 2020 season that culminated in a Super Bowl triumph alongside quarterback Tom Brady.

Over his nine-season career with the Buccaneers and the Denver Broncos, Barrett amassed 59 career sacks. He secured his first Super Bowl ring with the Broncos in 2015. Barrett led the NFL with a franchise-record 19.5 sacks in 2019, his debut season with Tampa Bay, and achieved double-digit sacks in just one other season—2021, with 10 sacks.

Drake had a journeyman eight-year career in the NFL, having played for the likes of Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, Las Vegas Raiders, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns and more.

A third-round draft pick in 2016 out of Alabama, the 30-year-old was selected by the Dolphins. During his time with Miami, Drake carved out a significant role for himself on the offense, becoming a dual-threat running back and return specialist, securing 2,468 yards from scrimmage and 17 touchdowns through his four years. He was also a part of the Miami Miracle, one of the most miraculous plays in recent NFL history.

In 2019, he was traded to the Cardinals. The most productive season of his career came in Arizona in 2020, when he totaled 955 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, both career highs.

That proved to be a flash in the pan, though, as Drake never managed to reach similar heights in his remaining years in the league. After a one-year stint with the Raiders, he joined the Ravens in 2022 before joining the Indianapolis Colts' practice squad to start the 2023 season.

He returned to Baltimore briefly before joining the Cleveland Browns' practice squad. He finished his final season in the NFL with the Packers.

The Los Angeles Rams faced the biggest offseason shake-up when legendary defensive lineman Aaron Donald dropped the bombshell of his retirement from the NFL after 10 years playing at an elite professional level.

The three-time NFL defensive player of the year, Super Bowl champion and future Hall of Famer leaves the NFL as one of the greatest players of all time, heading into the next step of his career.

Donald played all 10 seasons with the Rams and made the Pro Bowl each year, also being voted a first-team All-Pro in eight of those seasons. With 111 career sacks, he's the franchise's all-time leader in that stat.

Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, announced his retirement from the NFL in an emotional news conference. The 36-year-old sensed his time had come to step away, largely due to lingering injuries.

Kelce is almost a surefire Hall of Fame inductee, despite being picked in the sixth round of the 2011 draft following a rather unremarkable college career at Cincinnati, where he initially tried out as a running back.

However, he carved out a reputation as one of the premier offensive linemen in the NFL and earned first-team All-Pro honors six times—a feat matched by only four other centers, all of whom have been enshrined in the Hall of Fame. He spent his entire 13-season NFL career with the Eagles, including the team’s 2018 Super Bowl win.

Six-time Pro Bowl Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Fletcher Cox followed the footsteps of longtime Eagles center Jason Kelce in announcing his retirement ahead of the 2024 NFL season.

Cox stands out as one of the greatest defensive players in Eagles history. He was instrumental in bringing the Lombardi Trophy to Philadelphia in 2017 when the Eagles clinched the Super Bowl, and he had an impressive stretch of five or six seasons where he dominated the field.

Cox also served as the Eagles' team captain for six straight seasons and played in 188 regular-season games with Philadelphia, making him the top defensive tackle and tied for third among all players in franchise history.

Over his illustrious career, Cox recorded 70 quarterback sacks and recovered three fumbles for touchdowns, tying Seth Joyner for the most in Eagles history. Looking ahead, there's a strong possibility that in five years, both he and Kelce will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame together.

Matt Ryan last played in the NFL in December 2022. Selected as the No 3 overall pick from the 2008 draft, Ryan officially called it a career in April of 2024 from the NFL on Monday after 15 seasons, 14 with the Atlanta Falcons and one with the Indianapolis Colts. He signed a one-day contract to retire as a Falcon.

Even after falling short of a Super Bowl LI victory, the player leaves behind a lasting legacy as one of the greatest quarterbacks in Falcons history. He has set multiple franchise passing records, which include the most completions, passing yards, touchdowns, and the highest completion percentage.

He finished his NFL career with 62,792 passing yards, 381 touchdowns, 183 interceptions and a career passer rating of 93.6 accrued over 15 seasons. He made four Pro Bowls, one All-Pro team and still owns both the 2016 MVP and Offensive Player of the Year awards.

Regarded as one of the league's most-decorated special teams players, Matthew Slater, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Jackie Slater, was selected by the Patriots in the fifth round of the 2008 draft out of UCLA and spent his entire career with New England, spanning 16 NFL seasons.

He played in 239 games with the Patriots, second in team history behind Tom Brady (285). His 25 career postseason games rank ninth-most in NFL history. He won three Super Bowls with the Patriots and is the franchise's all-time leader in special teams tackles, while he also holds the NFL record for most special teams Pro Bowl appearances with 10. Slater is back at Gillette Stadium in the advisory role.