JUST weeks into his NFL career, a Green Bay Packers rookie was forced to opt out.
Former Michigan offensive lineman Trente Jones, 23, announced he was retiring from the NFL in a YouTube video on Monday.
Citing a back injury, Jones explained that the problem presented him with multiple options.
“Or you make the decision to keep pushing and possibly cut yourself and hurt your back as well,” He explained.
“Or you can try to do this, try to do that and try to overcome this, but end up messing up your back forever.
“Or none of that happens and you play for 10 or 15 years.
“And then there could also be the decision to leave, get the back better, get the back fixed and then come back and play another 10-15 years.”
Jones went on to say that “in theory” he could return “at some point.”
With his NFL career seemingly over, it appears Jones’ focus will turn to his career as an influencer.
Jones has almost 365,000 followers on TikTok, plus another 10,000 on YouTube and 75,000 on Instagram, keeping up to date with his mix of football and gaming content.
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An undrafted free agent, Jones signed a three-year contract with the Packers worth a potential $2.84 million, including $110,000 guaranteed.
He was one of five rookies signed to help bolster the Packers’ offensive line.
The team drafted tackle Jordan Morgan in the first round, followed by Jacob Monk in the fifth and Travis Glover in the sixth.
Donovan Jennings and Jones were signed as undrafted free agents.
For Jones, it followed a college career that culminated in a National Championship win under coach Jim Harbaugh.
While at Ann Arbor, Jones made 25 appearances during his junior and senior seasons.
He played every game during the title win, including the championship game.
As for Green Bay, with rookie minicamp complete, the next step in the preseason program will be the OTA, which is scheduled to begin on May 20.
This will last for two days, followed by other dates on May 28, 29 and 30, as well as June 3,4 and 6.
What we already know
ONLY one matchup has been confirmed for the 2024 NFL regular season so far.
That’s the Week 1 matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers on Friday, September 6th.
The game will be played at Arena Corinthians in São Paulo, Brazil, and will be broadcast live on Peacock across the United States.
We also know the identity of the home teams in the three games in London, England, and one in Munich, Germany.
The Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings will host games at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, while the other home team in London will be the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium.
The Carolina Panthers are also confirmed for the game at the Allianz Arena in Munich.
The mandatory minicamp will take place from June 11th to 13th.
Exactly when training camp will begin remains unclear.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story