A former New York Jets defender has hung up his cleats for good.
NFL cornerback Buster Skrine abruptly announced his retirement after an 11-year NFL career.
Mike Giardi of the NFL Network was the first to share the news on social media. That information came via Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel who said Skrine informed the team that he is retiring.
Mike Vrabel says Buster Skrine informed the #Titans he is retiring.
ALL the latest Jets news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Jets newsletter here!
A Lot of Memories
The 33-year-old had a decade of NFL experience and was prepared for a 12th season until he changed his mind.
Skrine entered the NFL in 2011 as the No. 137 overall pick in the fifth round. He spent his first four seasons with the Cleveland Browns and then got a chance to cash in during free agency.
The former Chattanooga product did that by signing a four-year $25 million contract to join the Jets.
Skrine lasted the length of the contract playing in 59 games and ended up starting in 48 of those contests.
During that span, Skrine racked up three interceptions, 30 pass deflections, three forced fumbles, and accumulated over 224 total tackles.
However, he was most well known for his ability to get penalized.
Skrine received 37 penalties while with the Jets. Whenever the Jets thought they made a play, a yellow flag was usually thrown. If a play was made, a yellow flag was thrown adding insult to injury.
After leaving the Jets, he spent two years with the Chicago Bears from 2019-20. Then last season split time between the San Francisco 49ers and the Titans. Skrine was set for his second season in Tennessee before the retirement announcement ahead of training camp.
Come a Long Way
The Jets have come a long way since those days.
In 2018 the Jets’ corner room featured Trumaine Johnson, Morris Claiborne, Skrine, Darryl Roberts, and Parry Nickerson.
Fast forward a few years later and now the room is overflowing with depth, star talent, and potential:
They have so much depth this year that two of their starters from 2021 are currently buried on the bench in 2022. Now if any injuries hit the unit during this season, they will be prepared with experienced bodies ready to step in and make an impact.
While that should certainly provide a comforting feeling, the bigger splash is at the topend of the depth chart. Sauce and Reed should provide some playmaking ability that this position has lacked for years.
One of the Jets’ biggest problems last season was an inability to create turnovers. It was almost absurd how often they were challenged compared to how little they were able to snag interceptions.
That luck is bound to bounce back especially considering all of the significant improvements to the positional group as a whole.
Follow @BoyGreen25 & @obermuller_nyj on Twitter for all the latest New York Jets breaking news, rumors, fresh takes, and more!
READ NEXT: Jets Deliver Top Weapon for Justin Fields in Proposed Trade
Comments
Polarizing Ex-Jets Starter Abruptly Retires After 11-Year Career