Longtime Cardinals linebacker retires

Markus Golden, the Arizona Cardinals' 58th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, retired from the NFL on Friday.  Golden, 33, had been a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2023.  He abruptly retired before the Steelers' first preseason game against the Houston Texans.

88 of Golden's 127 regular season game appearances were in a Cardinals uniform.  He also appeared in three playoff games as a member of the Arizona Cardinals. Golden had 152 solo tackles and 97 quarterback hits in his regular season Cardinals career and 6 solo tackles and 2 quarterback hits in the playoffs.

Golden had two stints with the Cardinals, from 2015 to 2018 and 2020 to 2022. His nickname was "Junk" or "Junkyard Dog."  He was a relentless competitor who always emphasized positivity, something he learned personally from his life and career ups and downs.  Upon hearing the news, former teammate JJ Watt called Golden "One of my favorite teammates of all time."

In 2021, Golden said : "I never wanted to walk around feeling sorry for myself and I didn't want people feeling sorry for me. That's my pride, number one. Two, I feel like you have to be positive, because if you stay positive, good things happen. That's how your brain works. If you are always positive and always thinking positive, 'Something will come from this. There's a reason why this is happening to me.'

That's a "Golden mantra" from a beloved member of the Arizona Cardinals.  Happy retirement Markus Golden!