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Former Baltimore Ravens left tackle Eugene Monroe is getting ready to retire after seven seasons in the NFL according to ESPN's Josina Anderson.
Source: Free agent offensive tackle Eugene Monroe is planning to retire. #NFL
— Josina Anderson (@JosinaAnderson) July 21, 2016
Eugene Monroe missed 15 games over the last 2 seasons, after missing 4 over his first 5. Monroe also advocates for use of medical marijuana.
— Josina Anderson (@JosinaAnderson) July 21, 2016
Over t/ last 3 seasons, #Ravens avg 5.5ypr outside left tackle w/ E. Monroe on the field & 2.1ypr w/ him off the field. Diff of 8th & last.
— Josina Anderson (@JosinaAnderson) July 21, 2016
It’s time I put my health and my family first. It’s time for me to retire. https://t.co/nW83Djhk0d
— Eugene Monroe (@MrEugeneMonroe) July 21, 2016
In addition, Monroe was acquired by the Ravens via trade in the middle of the 2013 season from the Jacksonville Jaguars in an exchange for a fourth-round draft pick and a fifth round draft pick as well. Monroe was drafted by the Jaguars with the eighth overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.
During the 2014 offseason, the Ravens signed Monroe to a contract extension that was a five-year deal worth 37.5 million dollars with 17.5 million dollars in guaranteed money with the vision that he would be the left tackle of the future for the franchise.
Monroe submit an article on the reasoning to leave the game through theplayerstribune
"The last 18 years have been full of traumatic injuries to both my head and my body. I'm not complaining, just stating a fact. Has the damage to my brain already been done? Do I have CTE? I hope I don't, but over 90% of the brains of former NFL players that have been examined showed signs of the disease. I am terrified."
It doesn't end there, as he cites problems and noticeable faults in memory already.
". . .like me putting my phone in the freezer and then tearing up our house looking for it. "
". . .when my four-year-old daughter said, 'Daddy you don't remember anything!'"
Monroe, 29, spent a lot of time the injury list with shoulder and ankle issues over the course of his last two seasons with the Ravens with his tenure with the team ending on injured reserve. Monroe's unfortunate injuries played a huge role in the team selecting rookie left tackle Ronnie Stanley with the sixth overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Shortly after Stanley was selected, the Ravens went on to release Monroe in June.