New Orleans Saints right tackle Ryan Ramczyk has announced his retirement from the NFL due to ongoing knee issues which kept him out of the 2024 season.
“What an incredible journey it’s been,” Ramczyk wrote on his Instagram account. “My path to the NFL wasn’t a straight line, it wasn’t the story most people expect. There were moments when people doubted me, moments when I doubted myself. It’s funny how life works out. Sometimes the road less traveled leads to places you never expected, but it ends up being exactly where you were meant to be.”
A first round pick of the Saints in 2017, Ramczyk was named to three straight All-Pro teams from 2018-2020, earning a first team selection in 2019. However, a cartilage defect in his right knee made playing an exceptionally painful task, ultimately sidelining him for the entirety of the 2024 campaign.
The veteran lineman’s final game was on December 10th, 2023, before the team placed him on injured reserve. Despite numerous attempts to rehabilitate his knee, the cartilage degradation was so severe that a return to professional football no longer seemed like a viable path forward for Ramczyk.
The former Wisconsin Badger started 101 games, 98 of which came as a right tackle. He joins William Roaf as the only Saints tackles to be named an All-Pro on three or more occasions.
Still only 30 years old, New Orleans announced that they would have Ramczyk attend the 2025 NFL Draft as a team representative, announcing one of the team’s Day 2 picks at Lambeau Field. It’s currently unclear whether a longer term front office, or off field arrangement is in the works to keep Ramczyk in the fold.
Photo: All-Pro Reels. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.