Bengals Lineman Makes Shocking Career Decision

"I want to send a sincere thank you to my teammates, coaches, trainers, support staff, Bengals ownership, and the NFL for everything you all have done for me," Hubbard said in a farewell post. "I could not have done any of this alone. To the fans — Who Dey Nation — I thank you the most; you inspired me. From the years of struggle and adversity to Super Bowl LVI, you never stopped believing. I hope I made you proud."

Hubbard has no shortage of moments to fall back on, most notably his scoop-and-score against the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs. He played a significant role on a Bengals team that took down Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes on the way to the Super Bowl.

Hubbard finished his career with 38.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, five recoveries, and 55 tackles for loss – a strong return on his 2018 third-round draft capital.

"Sam always has been and always will be a wonderful part of the Bengals organization and the entire Cincinnati community," Bengals president Mike Brown said. "Growing up here, he was a top youth athlete on local gridirons and lacrosse fields before becoming a standout football player at Ohio State. We were fortunate to draft him in 2018, and we immediately knew that we added an outstanding player and an even better person to our team.

"Sam epitomizes what you want in a player — he's a great teammate, a talented athlete and a passionate community member. He helped us win a lot of football games, and he had a number of very memorable plays over the years. … It has been my honor to watch him play his entire NFL career for his hometown team. We thank him for the memories he created as 'Cincinnati's Own.'"

After seven seasons, Hubbard will leave the game as a respected veteran and a cherished teammate. His most important contributions, though, don’t have to slow down. Hubbard was a force in the Ohio community, headlining football camps and striving to end food insecurity in his hometown.

Nominated twice for the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, Cincinnati is sending off a player whose impact stretched far beyond the limits of Paycor Stadium.