10-year NFL linebacker and star of the Longhorns' defense from 2010-2014, Jordan Hicks, has officially announced his retirement at the age of 33.
He's missed the first two days of Cleveland Browns training camp for what the team described as "personal reasons". It's fairly obvious that he was contemplating retirement after just one full season in Northeast Ohio. Though he was still very effective for the Browns' defense last season, he was riddled with nagging elbow and rib injuries that caused him to miss 5 games throughout the campaign.
#Browns LB Jordan Hicks’ IG retirement post: pic.twitter.com/IiByigUZLz
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) July 25, 2025
It's plausible to think that these small, consistent injuries are what ultimately drove him to retire this morning. Athletes are realizing how the game affects them more and more over the years and it's not neccessarily "rare" to see guys hang up the cleats early or for reasons that seem small to fans.
In his decade-long career as a pro he totaled 952 tackles, 51 TFL, 38 QB hits, 16.5 sacks, 53 pass deflections, 13 interceptions, 6 forced fumbles, and 11 fumble recoveries. He spent time with the Cleveland Browns, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals, and the Philadelphia Eagles, where he won a Super Bowl in 2018.
It was nice to see Hicks have a productive NFL career after being so beloved and effective at the University of Texas.