Miami Dolphins left tackle Terron Armstead is retiring from NFL after 12 seasons
A dozen seasons. Five Pro Bowls. Two teams.
After 12 years in the NFL, Terron Armstead will retire. The star offensive tackle confirmed the news, initially reported by NFL insider Ian Rapoport, at an intimate gathering Saturday night in Miami. In an evening that featured speeches from former teammates Drew Brees and Cameron Jordan, it was Armstead that had the most poignant line.
“2013 NFL Draft was my first day on the job — today is my last,” Armstead said, holding back tears as a thunderous applause rang through the crowd.
At 33, Armstead could’ve stayed around another year or two. His play hadn’t necessarily slipped as he was just one year removed from back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons in 2022 and 2023. But after three consecutive year plagued by various injuries, the former Arkansas Pine-Bluff standout decided to hang it up, effectively ending the career of one of the best tackles of his generation.
“Everything,” Armstead said when asked what the game has give him. “Changed my life. Changed my last name. My last name is viewed a lot different than it was before. My kids last name means something and I take full honor in that.”
Armstead spent the first nine years with the New Orleans Saint where he established himself as the blindside protection for quarterback Drew Brees. He joined the Dolphins ahead of the 2022 season and immediately became one of the most prominent voices in the locker room.
“What a huge piece of our team he is,” coach Mike McDaniel said in early January. “Just in terms of where we started off and where our mindset is in tough times or in good times, he’s one of the guys that everyone looks to. You’re always hopeful for that. I’m not taking him for granted for any moment.”
The Saints selected Armstead in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. In New Orleans, he racked up three Pro Bowls and even a second-team All-Pro selection. Armstead credited Brees, Jordan as well as his former Saints offensive line coach Dan Roushar for the
“I was a good player before Dan came into the room,” Armstead said during his speech, also praising Brees’ work-ethic and Jordan’s commitment to the community. “Dan made a Pro Bowler. He turned me from a good player to a five-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro.”
Armstead’s reputation extends far past his elite play. He was a warrior in the best sense of the word considering the numerous injuries that especially plagued him towards the end of his career. Armstead even revealed that doctors told him that he needs a knee replacement early in the 2024 season. That sort of toughness endeared him to coaches and teammates alike.
“He’s a dawg,” quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said in November 2024. “There’s been a lot of things that he’s been dealing with injury-wise and I’ve got a lot of respect – tremendous amount of respect – for him being able to fight through those and still go out there and compete and play to protect me, to protect our backs and to protect our ball carriers.”
“It’s about being a pro and I think that’s something I’ve learned a lot from [Armstead] and how he approaches a week, how he’s able to do his work throughout a week and then go out and perform unbelievably, All-Pro levels for the past few years now,” fullback Alec Ingold added. “I think that’s a great example to follow. A lot of the younger guys looking at those types of people.”
Speculations about his probable retirement immediately began to swirl following the end of 2024 season. At the NFL Combine, McDaniel made headlines with his comments about Armstead.
“He’s going to take his time with his family and loved ones and make that decision because it’s not an easy one,” McDaniel said. That same day, Armstead and the Dolphins agreed to restructure his current deal to create more cap space. “But we will be operating as though we’re moving on in that way simply for the execution of free agency and the draft.”
Armstead, however, is well-suited for retirement as he has ingratiated himself in the Miami community. Not only does Armstead impact the next generation of young people through his eponymous organization, he was recently inducted into the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project, a nonprofit mentorship organization founded by Congresswoman Frederica Wilson.
“We’re so proud and honored to have him interested in helping the next generation and lifting them up and guiding them,” Wilson said of Armstead. “That’s what mentorship is all about and that’s what successful people like him should do.”
Added Wilson: “He is a great role model not just for young boys but for all athletes.”
This story was originally published April 5, 2025 at 8:50 PM.
