Steve Smith has officially submitted his retirement letter to the NFL while taking a final shot at his competitors.
The former Ravens wide receiver shared his letter to commissioner Roger Goodell via his official Twitter account on Friday morning, which notes that he “will no longer be antagonizing defensive backs” in the NFL. Though saying he was 89 percent likely to retire prior to Baltimore’s season-ending loss at Cincinnati, Smith confirmed his decision to walk away from a 16-year career after the 27-10 defeat.
It's official my letter to the @NFL #agent89 out
#stevesmithsr #RavensFlock #SSmithWPMOYchallenge pic.twitter.com/CMW2PXDPkd
— Steve Smith Sr (@89SteveSmith) January 6, 2017
Returning from a horrific Achilles tendon injury to play one more season, the 37-year-old added to his impressive credentials with 70 catches for 799 yards and five touchdowns in 14 games. The five-time Pro Bowl receiver retires from the game ranking seventh in all-time receiving yards (14,731), 12th in career receptions (1,031), and 26th in touchdown receptions (81), numbers that give him a compelling case for eventual Hall of Fame induction.
Smith spent the first 13 seasons of his career with the Carolina Panthers before joining the Ravens in 2014.
