As some athletes get ready to start their NFL careers, others are seeing their come to an end.
Marcus Gilbert, former Steelers offensive tackle announced his retirement from the NFL Monday:
Thank you for all of the support over the years. I can’t wait to share my next chapter of life with you all. pic.twitter.com/JjCQ4xGwgE
— Marcus Gilbert (@MarcusGilbert88) April 26, 2021
Gilbert was the Steelers second round pick of the 2011 NFL Draft, earning the team's Rookie of the Year Award that year after starting 13 games. He became an instrumental part of the Steelers' offensive resurgence during the 2010s. After ranking in the bottom half of the league for three straight seasons, the Steelers ranked as a top ten NFL offense from 2014-2018 while Gilbert started at right tackle.
Maurkice Pouncey and David DeCastro became the Pro Bowl and All-Pro offensive linemen for the Steelers, but Gilbert was also a vital starter for the offensive line that became one of the most praised units in the NFL. During the 2015 NFL season, Gilbert faced off against Von Miller twice, once in the regular season and again in the playoffs.
Although the Steelers would win the regular season matchup and lose in the playoffs to the Broncos, Gilbert shut out Miller from any sacks or tackles for loss. That year the eight-time Pro Bowl, three-time All-Pro, eventually won that year's Super Bowl MVP when the Broncos won the Super Bowl over the Panthers. It was among one of Gilbert's most impressive years.
Gilbert never got the praise of Pouncey, DeCastro, or even Alejandro Villanueva who was named to a Pro Bowl. But he was still an important part of a Steelers offensive line that blocked for Le'Veon Bell and helped him average the most yards from scrimmage per game in NFL history by his time with the Steelers ended after the 2017 season.
Gilbert would eventually be traded to the Cardinals in 2019, but injuries kept him from playing that season and he opted out from the 2020 season.