Linebacker Markus Golden retires after 9 NFL seasons, mostly with Cardinals

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Linebacker Markus Golden announced his retirement Wednesday after nine NFL seasons, mostly with the Arizona Cardinals.

Golden, a second-round pick by Arizona out of Missouri in 2015, had 51 career sacks, including a career-best 12 1/2 for the Cardinals in 2016.

He spent last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, playing 16 games with four sacks. Pittsburgh placed the 33-year-old Golden on the reserved/retired list on Aug. 9.

“I’ve officially retired from the NFL after playing the game I’ve loved all my life,” Golden said in a statement he posted on social media. “I feel truly blessed to have been able to live out the dreams and goals I set for myself as a kid.”

The St. Louis native spent four seasons with Arizona before signing with the New York Giants in 2019. He had 10 sacks for New York that year, then was traded back to Arizona midway through the 2020 season.

Golden remained with the Cardinals through 2022 and was a popular figure.

Former three-time AP Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt — who played with Golden in Arizona for two seasons — called the linebacker “one of my favorite teammates of all time.”