Colts' OT and former draft pick Jake Witt announces retirement

After being released by the Colts’ on Tuesday during roster cutdowns, offensive tackle Jake Witt announced on Facebook that he would be retiring from football.

“After a great deal of thought and consideration, I’ve decided, due to personal reasons and consideration for my long-term health, to move past football and into the next chapter of my life,” Witt said.

Witt was a seventh-round pick by the Colts in 2023 out of D-II Northern Michigan. He came to the NFL as a raw prospect who needed time to develop, but at 6-7 – 302 pounds and with elite athleticism, he possessed a ton of upside.

Unfortunately, Witt would miss his rookie season after being placed on season-ending IR last August with a hip injury. His pursuit of a roster spot this season was not an easy one, with the Colts returning both starting tackles from 2023, along with Blake Freeland–a fourth-round pick by the Colts in 2023–and the addition of rookie Matt Goncalves.

GM Chris Ballard mentioned before training camp began that the backup swing tackle role would be one of the more intriguing competitions this summer. But right from the start, that was just a two man battle between Freeland and Goncalves.

Joel Erickson of the Indy Star would report that Witt had offers to join not only the Colts’ practice squad but several other practice squads as well.