Saints’ Ryan Ramczyk retires after 7 seasons — ‘Incredible journey’

NEW ORLEANS — Saints right tackle Ryan Ramczyk is retiring from the NFL, he announced on his Instagram account Thursday night.

Ramczyk retires after playing seven seasons and earning All-Pro honors three times from 2018 to 2020. He is the second of two former Saints All-Pro tackles to announce their retirement this year, with former left tackle Terron Armstead announcing his two weeks earlier.

“What an incredible journey it’s been,” Ramczyk wrote on his Instagram account. “My path to the NFL wasn’t a straight line, it wasn’t the story most people expect. There were moments when people doubted me, moments when I doubted myself. It’s funny how life works out. Sometimes the road less traveled leads to places you never expected, but it ends up being exactly where you were meant to be.”

The move comes one day after Ramczyk was announced as the Saints’ guest picker in Green Bay, Wisconsin, for their Day 2 draft picks next week.

Ramczyk, 30, was the 32nd pick in the 2017 draft and the second selection of one of the most successful draft classes in franchise history. That Saints’ class also included 2017 Rookies of the Year Alvin Kamara and Marshon Lattimore, All-Pro defensive end Trey Hendrickson, safety Marcus Williams and linebacker Alex Anzalone.

Ramczyk’s retirement has been on the horizon since the 2023 season due to a cartilage defect in one of his knees. Although Ramczyk did not miss a game due to injury in his first four seasons, the knee became an issue during the 2021 season, and he missed seven games that year.

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Ramczyk managed the issue in 2022 and did not miss a game that year, but the issues returned at the beginning of the 2023 season. He attempted to play through it but was eventually placed on injured reserve, missing the final four games.

“This year it’s bugged me a little bit more than it has in the past,” he said at the end of the 2023 season. “At some point, I just couldn’t play anymore.”

Ramczyk’s final game was a 28-6 Saints win against the Carolina Panthers on Dec. 10, 2023.

Ramczyk indicated the issue was very serious at the end of that season, when he expressed concern about the possibility of it being career threatening.

Then-Saints coach Dennis Allen was optimistic about Ramczyk’s potential return when speaking to the media at the 2024 NFL scouting combine. But he was decidedly grimmer about Ramczyk’s future a month later at the league’s annual meeting.

“He just isn’t quite where I was probably hoping he’d be, and really quite frankly, where he was hoping he’d be,” Allen said in March 2024.

Ramczyk was placed on the season-ending physically unable to perform list on July 18 and did not return. Although he was occasionally at games and was with the team on the final day of last season, he slimmed down significantly in the offseason.

Ramczyk restructured his contract on the first day of the offseason, lowering his base salary to the league minimum. That hinted at his future plans as former Saints quarterback Drew Brees also restructured his contract in a similar fashion before retiring in March 2021.

Brees did not file his retirement papers until after June 1, a move Ramczyk could also make, which will allow the Saints to spread his salary cap hit over the next two years. Ramczyk currently counts $23 million against the salary cap and the team will have $11 million in dead money but will get his base salary of $1.255 million credited after June 1 if he elects to go that route.

While the Saints knew a retirement was on the horizon this offseason, the organization wanted him to announce the decision on his timeline.

Ramczyk retires after 101 starts in New Orleans.

“Today I reflect on all the twists and turns that got me to this point, from technical college to become a “welder” to All-Pro in the NFL. As I step into retirement, I’m filled with gratitude for everything this sport has given me,” Ramczyk wrote. “I owe a giant thank you to the game of football, and to the countless coaches and teammates who have supported and challenged me along the way. I’m especially thankful to UW-Stevens Point for welcoming me with open arms, to UW-Madison for taking a chance on a Division III transfer, and to the New Orleans Saints for believing in me at the highest level.”

“To the amazing New Orleans Saints fans. Thank you for embracing me from day one. Your passion and energy are unmatched, you made New Orleans feel like home. To my incredible wife, thank you for being my rock through every high and low. And to my parents, who instilled in me the meaning of hard work and dedication. I’m excited for what the future holds, especially the opportunity to spend more time with my two boys and watch them grow. I’m looking forward to this next chapter in life and am forever grateful. Who Dat for life.”