Giovani Bernard: Retires from football

Bernard announced his retirement Friday, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.

The 2013 second-round pick spent his first eight seasons with the Bengals, and while he never ran for more than 730 yards or five touchdowns in a season, he averaged 42.8 catches for 358.4 receiving yards and also earned a reputation as a good pass blocker. He spent his final two seasons in Tampa Bay, where he had trouble staying healthy and barely saw the field in 2022. The 31-year-old retires with 6,772 scrimmage yards and 36 career touchdowns.