Young NFL Players Announce Surprise Retirements

In a surprising turn of events, two young NFL players have decided to retire this week. Zack Evans, a 24-year-old running back for the New York Jets, and Nate Herbig, who is 27 and played for the Washington Commanders, both made announcements just before the start of the 2025 preseason, which kicks off with Thursday’s Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio.

Evans shared his retirement plans on Monday, leading to his placement on the New York reserve/retired list. Last season, he had a challenging year at Ole Miss, finishing with 936 rushing yards and nine touchdowns—his average of 6.5 yards per carry was notable, helping him lead the SEC in that season.

The Los Angeles Rams drafted Evans in the sixth round in 2023. During his rookie year, he participated in 10 games and later spent time with both the Rams and Jets practice squads in 2024.

The day after Evans’ retirement announcement, Herbig also declared he would be stepping away from the league. Undrafted in 2019, he had spent his initial three years with the Philadelphia Eagles, followed by a year with the Jets and another two years with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Herbig signed with the Commanders earlier this offseason and is believed to have started in around 30 games throughout his career.

Meanwhile, training camps across the NFL opened last week, gearing up for the upcoming season. The preseason officially begins with the matchup between the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday in Canton.