Former Bills Receiver Returns to NFL After Retiring, Trying New Sport

Chris Hogan

Getty Chris Hogan celebrates a catch in a game against the New England Patriots.

After a retirement and a failed sport change, former Buffalo Bills wide receiver Chris Hogan will be back to the NFL at the start of this season.

Hogan, who played lacrosse in high school and at Penn State before playing one season of college football, announced earlier this year that he was trying to launch a career in his first sport. He retired from the NFL and signed with a Premier Lacrosse League team, but the 33-year-old is now returning to football.

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Hogan Back on NFL Roster

After more than a decade away from the sport, Hogan’s return to lacrosse was less than remarkable. He appeared in only two games during the season, registering no shots on goal. He had been a star at Penn State, serving as captain and leading the team with 29 goals in his junior season, earning him a spot on the all-ECAC team that year.

Hogan had apparently always envisioned a return to lacrosse. He told Boston.com that he kept a lacrosse stick in his NFL locker, and in his “Monday Night Football” intros Hogan referred to himself as a Penn State lacrosse player.

“I always had a vision of going back to lacrosse in some way, shape, or form,” Hogan said. “I had talked to the PLL about potentially making this a reality. It wasn’t something that just happened overnight. I’ve been talking about it for a little while, and I think it just made sense.”

Hogan decided to return to the NFL after his PLL stint, and in July signed with the New Orleans Saints. He was initially released, but the Saints brought him back onto the roster this week.

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