Percy Harvin Retires From NFL At Just 27 Years Old

Percy Harvin has informed the Buffalo Bills that he intends to retire and not continue with his NFL career.

The 27-year-old wide receiver has struggled with injuries for years and despite an enormous amount of potential, never became the consistent game-breaking threat most expected him to be when he arrived in the league out of Florida in 2009.

Harvin was the NFL’s offensive rookie of the year in 2009, earned All-Pro recognition that year for the Minnesota Vikings, and wound up being the best player on the field for the Seattle Seahawks during their Super Bowl XLVIII victory. Off-field attitude problems led to two trades during his career, but Harvin’s pure talent always earned him second chances.

In 2015, Harvin signed on with the Bills but played in just five games, catching 19 passes for 218 yards and just one touchdown. His best season came for the Vikings in 2011, when he hauled in 87 receptions for 967 yards and six scores, while also returning a punt for a touchdown. That was also the only season in his seven-year career where he actually played in all 16 games.

Harvin is the latest in an increasingly long line of players decided to retire from the NFL before hitting 30. He will likely be remembered for his incredible natural gifts that never quite translated into sustained NFL success because of injuries. He was a guy you had to watch when he had the ball in his hands, unfortunately that didn’t happen often enough.