Redskins tight end Vernon Davis retires after 14 NFL seasons

Vernon Davis was set to be a free agent ahead of the 2020 offseason. Instead of looking to find a new team, the Washington Redskins tight end elected to retire.

The Washington Redskins have some major holes to fill this offseason, but one of the most important ones on offense will come at the tight end position. The team wasn’t able to get much production out of the position last season because of injuries to Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis.

The status of the two veterans entering the 2020 offseason was murky. But now, the Redskins have an answer about one of their futures.

On Super Bowl Sunday, Davis announced his retirement in segment on FOX’s NFL coverage with Rob Gronkowski. Here’s a look at the announcement, per Jake Kring-Schreifels.

So, that will cap off a 14-year career for Davis. And the final four years of his career were spent in Washington.

Davis had a career rebirth with the Redskins after struggling in his 10th NFL season, during which he spent time with the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos. In his first two seasons in Washington, Davis totaled 87 catches for 1,231 yards and five touchdowns as the team’s primary starter. He was a great injury replacement for Reed and ensured that the team didn’t have too many depth issues at tight end.

Over the course of the past two seasons, Davis slowed down a bit for the ‘Skins. He was still an effective backup, but he wasn’t as explosive as a receiver. And his 2019 season was cut short by a concussion that limited him to just four games, 10 catches, 123 yards, and a touchdown.

The Redskins may miss Davis’ veteran leadership a bit, but they were likely already prepared for his departure. After all, he was set to be a 36-year-old free agent. So, had he wanted to stay in the league, it would’ve made sense for him to join a contender as veteran depth instead of returning to the Redskins.

Davis should do well in his post-NFL career and he certainly did everything he could to give the ‘Skins a productive, reliable tight end during his four years with the squad. Congrats to Davis on an excellent NFL career.