Jake Ballard has retired from the NFL at the age of 26 after appearing in eight games last season with the Arizona Cardinals.
Ballard tore his ACL and eventually needed microfracture surgery following an injury during Super Bowl XLVI.
"Yesterday I made the difficult decision to retire from the game of football," Ballard said in a statement, via ProFootballTalk. "I love this game and have put my heart and soul into it for as long as I can remember. After sustaining a serious knee injury while playing for the New York Giants in the Super Bowl, my body never felt the same.
"Having a quality of life after football is very important to me and I have witnessed it taken away from others. I will miss the game tremendously, but I am ready for this next chapter in my life."
