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In a surprising announcement today, Colts guard Jack Mewhort will retire from the NFL. Just 26 years old, Mewhort was the Colts’ 2014 2nd round draft pick, and for two years, he was one of the Colts best and most reliable offensive linemen during a time when the rest of the line was complete chaos.
After 4 seasons with the Colts, @jackmewhort is retiring from the @NFL.
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) August 1, 2018
We thank Jack for his contributions on and off the field: https://t.co/o1nbT4YSkC pic.twitter.com/IBSAIa4omQ
After suffering a knee injury, Mewhort was diagnosed with a chondral defect in his left knee, and spent most of his 3rd and 4th seasons in the NFL struggling with knee issues that impacted his play as well as his availability. Despite this, Mewhort was viewed as a guy who was on his way to a return and be able to work as valuable depth on a Colts offensive line that general manager Chris Ballard has been retooling and rebuilding.
The Colts re-signed Mewhort in the offseason to a 1-year, 1.5 million dollar deal with that hope in mind, and his veteran presence on a young team was encouraging to see. Reports suggest that Mewhort did not reinjure his knee, but simply decided that given the injury history, it was time to call it a career. We certainly wish Jack the best.