Longtime Bengals DE Hubbard retiring at age 29

Longtime Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Sam Hubbard announced his retirement Wednesday after seven seasons.

"I want to send a sincere thank you to my teammates, coaches, trainers, support staff, Bengals ownership, and the NFL for everything you all have done for me," Hubbard said on social media. "I could not have done any of this alone. To the fans -- Who Dey Nation -- I thank you the most; you inspired me. From the years of struggle and adversity to Super Bowl LVI, you never stopped believing. I hope I made you proud.

"To play my entire career in one uniform is incredibly special to me, and I am a Bengal for life, always have been and always will be."

Hubbard, who was born in Cincinnati, was the longest-tenured player on the Bengals' roster. He is the only player on the team who predates the arrival of head coach Zac Taylor, who was hired in 2019.

His 2024 season ended in December when he suffered a torn PCL against the Tennessee Titans on his first career reception -- a 2-yard touchdown catch in a 37-27 victory.

The Bengals selected Hubbard, 29, in the third round of the 2018 draft. He had 38.5 sacks in 104 games. He had another four sacks in seven postseason games. He was voted a team captain in each of the past four seasons.

"Sam always has been and always will be a wonderful part of the Bengals organization and the entire Cincinnati community," Bengals president Mike Brown said in a statement. "Growing up here, he was a top youth athlete on local gridirons and lacrosse fields before becoming a standout football player at Ohio State. We were fortunate to draft him in 2018, and we immediately knew that we added an outstanding player and an even better person to our team.

"Sam epitomizes what you want in a player -- he's a great teammate, a talented athlete and a passionate community member. He helped us win a lot of football games, and he had a number of very memorable plays over the years. His 98-yard fumble recovery return in the Wild Card win over Baltimore is one of the most iconic touchdowns in team history. It has been my honor to watch him play his entire NFL career for his hometown team. We thank him for the memories he created as 'Cincinnati's Own.'"