Hayden Hurst, a tight end who last played for the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2024 NFL season, announced his retirement on December 16, 2024, via Instagram after seven professional seasons.[1][2]

Born March 24, 1993, in Jacksonville, Florida, Hurst was a two-sport athlete at The Bolles School before being selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 17th round (517th overall) of the 2012 MLB Draft. He appeared in one minor-league game for the Gulf Coast League Pirates on July 20, 2012, retiring one batter while walking five.[3][4]

Hurst walked on to the University of South Carolina football team, where he played from 2015 to 2017. The Baltimore Ravens selected him in the first round (25th overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft.[1][2]

Over 78 regular-season games, Hurst recorded 156 receptions for 1,710 yards and 14 touchdowns. His career-high totals came in 2021 with the Atlanta Falcons: 49 catches for 571 yards and six touchdowns. He appeared in eight games for the Chargers in 2024, catching 12 passes for 82 yards.[1][2]

Hurst's NFL teams included the Ravens (2018-2020), Falcons (2020-2021), Cincinnati Bengals (2022), Carolina Panthers (2023) and Chargers (2024). He was traded from Baltimore to Atlanta ahead of the 2020 season.[1][2]

In his Instagram post, Hurst reflected on his journey: "About a year overdue but life sped up on me these last 12 months.... From my high school days at Bolles, to getting drafted by the Pirates, walking on at South Carolina and then making the jump to the NFL."[5]

He added: "I wouldn’t change a thing about my career... I’m truly at peace announcing my retirement today because I checked every box athletically I wanted to. Now it’s time to sit back and be the best husband and father I can be."[5]

Sources

1. NFL.com, "Hayden Hurst - Los Angeles Chargers TE", accessed December 18, 2024, https://www.nfl.com/players/hayden-hurst/
2. Pro-Football-Reference.com, "Hayden Hurst Career Stats", accessed December 18, 2024, https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HursHa00.htm
3. Baseball-Reference.com, "Hayden Hurst Minor League Stats", accessed December 18, 2024, https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=hurst-001hay
4. MLB.com, "2012 MLB Draft Tracker", June 5, 2012, https://www.mlb.com/draft/2012
5. ESPN.com, "Chargers TE Hayden Hurst announces NFL retirement after 7 seasons", December 17, 2024, https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/42910929/hayden-hurst-retires-nfl-chargers