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Former Steeler Breaks Down Shocking NFL Retirement Decision

Monte Pottebaum left the game on his own terms

Monte Pottebaum’s NFL career was over before it started.

Pottebaum signed with the Steelers as a free agent after he was not selected in the 2023 NFL Draft. A multi-position player over the course of his collegiate career with the Iowa Hawkeyes, Pottebaum fit the mold of the rough-and-tough player Pittsburgh typically targets.

The linebacker-turned-fullback ultimately was one of the Steelers’ “first cuts” in his debut training camp with the storied organization, but we later learned Pottebaum left the team on his own terms. He decided to retire from the NFL, and he explained that decision on a recent appearance on the “SHRP Talk” podcast.

“In order for me to do it, there was some pain that goes with that, and that pain increasingly got worse and worse as I progressed through college,” Pottebaum said, as transcribed by Sports Illustrated. “Got to a point where anytime I would hit somebody wrong, it would send just shooting pain down my neck into my fingertips all throughout my arm. You guys all know what a stinger is, but basically, it’s like, I wish it had the visual effect of breaking your arm or something like that. From an outsider looking in, it looks like you’re just being a wuss. But realistically, on the inside, it’s like some of the worst pain imaginable.”

Professional football players far too often are forced off the gridiron and leave the game with lasting negative effects on their well-being. Thus, Pottebaum deserves a great deal of credit for valuing his quality of life and moving on from the sport when he felt it was in his best interest to do so.

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Featured image via Jeffrey Becker/Imagn Images