Terron Armstead said he hasn’t even started the process of deciding whether to play another NFL season, with the Miami Dolphins offensive tackle considering retirement after completing his 11th season in the league.
“Just taking time away from the game,” Armstead told NFL.com. “It was a long season, up-and-down season for myself, physically. Getting away coming out of the playoff loss to the [Kansas City] Chiefs, I haven’t even started that process. I’ve just been resting, recovering and enjoying family.”
Armstead has a lot to recover from as he was a fixture on Miami’s injury report throughout the season. He suffered injuries to his knee, ankle, back and quad and was only able to appear in 10 of the team’s 17 regular season games in the 2023 campaign. He did participate in the Dolphins’ 26-7 loss to the Chiefs in the first round of the playoffs.
Though he has been named to the Pro Bowl five times, including this season, he has never played in every game of an NFL season. Since leaving the New Orleans Saints and signing with Miami as a free agent prior to the 2022 season, he has played in 23 of 34 possible regular season games for the Dolphins.
The team reportedly could be looking to select his eventual successor in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft.
The 32-year-old has three years remaining on a five-year contract he signed to join the Dolphins. Not only would he be walking away from a large amount of money if he were to retire, but he also would be leaving a team that maintains Super Bowl aspirations despite a disappointing end to the 2023 season.
“Our expectations are at an all-time high and that’s exactly the environment and situation you want to be in,” Armstead said. “I don’t want to be in a place that six wins is — no, no. It’s Super Bowl or nothing. That wasn’t the expectation when I signed in Miami; that’s the expectation now. So, I think our trajectory is headed in the right direction and we just have to finish the job.”
Miami was in contention for the No. 1 seed in the AFC and its first division title in years before failing to close the deal down the stretch. The Dolphins lost their final two games of the regular season – to the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills – which forced them to go on the road to play the defending Super Bowl champions in one of the coldest games in NFL history.
Their loss to the Chiefs may create thoughts of what might have been as Kansas City has advanced all the way to another Super Bowl. Stepping away from the game — either because of injuries or other concerns — also could bring up some thoughts of regret for Armstead if that is the decision he ultimately has to make.
