Another New Orleans Saints legend is calling it a career, this time in the form of former star left tackle Terron Armstead.
The former Saints third round pick spent the past three seasons in Miami, but Armstead, 33, made sure to give the Saints a shoutout after his decision became public over the weekend.
"To the New Orleans Saints, my teammates, fans and the city of New Orleans!! Thank you and I Love You," Armstead posted on X Monday morning.
"You took a chance on me and my motivation was to prove you right!! You raised me, you taught me valuable lessons, you are a city of resilience and perseverance! NOLA Strong."
The Saints picked Armstead in the third round out of Arkansas-Pine Bluff after he wowed with his combine performance, setting the NFL combine record for linemen with a 4.71 second 40-yard dash. He had an up-and-down rookie season before settling in as a mainstay at left tackle, protecting star QB Drew Brees for the latter half of a Hall of Fame career. Armstead started 131 games during his 12 years in New Orleans, with the only true challenge being a series of unfortunate injuries, limiting him to 10 or fewer starts in four separate seasons. He formed a bookend with Ryan Ramczyk from 2017-2020 that led to the Saints making the playoffs in all four years, with Armstead landing in the Pro Bowl three times. Ramczyk, a first-round pick in 2017, is also expected to retire this offseason.
"It is with great respect, appreciation and gratitude as we congratulate Terron Armstead on a fantastic career," said Saints GM Mickey Loomis in an official statement. "He was an outstanding player, teammate and friend and we look forward to formally recognizing his outstanding accomplishments in front of our tremendous fanbase in the near future."
Armstead's final season in 2021 included just 8 games as be battled knee and elbow injuries injuries. He departed to the Dolphins in free agency ahead of the 2022 season and made the Pro Bowl in two of those three seasons, though he continued to be dogged by injuries and appeared in just 38 of 51 possible games.
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Likely the biggest disappoint for Armstead's career, though, is that a Saints squad that won the most games in the NFL over a 4-year stretch was never able to break through to the Super Bowl, often due to bizarre and unusual circumstances (no need to elaborate deeper than that).
"So many great memories and some heartbreakers too!" Armstead wrote on X. "I will never get over the 'No Call' NFL Championship game, we should have a ring. But I also know we got back up and dominated the league again! Who Dat forever in my heart."
Armstead is a sure bet to land in the Saints team Hall of Fame when he is eligible, with the bigger question being whether he be the latest offensive lineman to land in the team's Ring of Honor. The Saints added Jahri Evan's name to that list this past season, and will certainly be adding Drew Brees' name to the rafters of the Caesars Superdome in the not-too-distant future. The other names include Tom Benson, Archie Manning, Morten Andersen, Sam Mills, Rickey Jackson, Willie Roaf and Will Smith.