Getty Former New York Jets tight end Daniel Brown celebrating after a big play during an NFL game.
A former New York Jets veteran has decided to hang up his cleats.
Daniel Brown announced on his Instagram page that he was retiring from the National Football League after seven seasons.
The former James Madison product posted an edited photo that gave a shoutout to some of the teams he played for during his football career including the Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens, and most notably of which the Jets.
“To each organization that gave me a chance to live out my childhood dream, I thank you. I showed up each and every day and gave the game everything I had,” Brown articulated on social media. “And if you are reading this and had even the smallest part of my journey, I would like to thank you all as well. It never went unnoticed. I’m excited to see where the next chapter in my life takes me!”
Former #Jets TE Daniel Brown announced his retirement from playing today on his IG page.
Brown didn’t play last season. He had 46 catches for 449 yards & 2 TDs in 7 seasons with the Jets, Ravens, Bears & Chiefs.
Daniel Brown’s Jets Legacy Will Forever Be Tied to Joe Douglas
The 30-year-old who is set to turn 31 this offseason last appeared in the NFL with the Jets on their practice squad in 2021.
For the majority of his career, Brown served as a backup tight end who would occasionally get some work in as a blocker. Brown also was utilized on special teams and that is where he truly cut his teeth.
In seven seasons Brown caught 46 receptions for 449 receiving yards and hauled in a pair of touchdowns.
Although he will be remembered more for what happened off the field than on the field with the Jets.
Right ahead of the 2021 NFL trade deadline, general manager Joe Douglas flipped the not often used tight end for Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif in a rare player-for-player swap.
JD throughout his tenure as the Jets GM has developed a reputation as an excellent trade negotiator.
Fans were astonished by his ability to trade a backup tight end for a starting-caliber offensive lineman in the middle of a season.
Brown was acquired by the Chiefs on November 2 and was released on November 20. On the other hand, LDT appeared in eight games and started in seven of those after the trade in 2021.
The Canadian big man returned to the Jets the very next season and appeared in five games with a single start during that run.
As if the winner of that trade wasn’t obvious enough, the Jets ended up bringing Brown back on the roster on November 30 within the same month that the team initially traded him away.
It was a stroke of genius by Douglas and a trade he still gets praised for years later.
Jeremy Ruckert’s Time to Shine in 2023
The Jets completely overhauled the tight end position in every facet of their offseason in 2022.
Gang Green invested over $45 million in free agency dollars to secure veterans CJ Uzomah and Tyler Conklin. Then the Jets triple downed their efforts during the 2022 NFL draft with the No. 101 overall pick in the third round to select Jeremy Ruckert out of Ohio State.
Ruckert got hurt during his time at the Senior Bowl in January and that injury nagged him throughout his offseason with the Jets.
It put the former OSU product behind the eight-ball and he never seemed able to recover from the loss of precious practice reps.
Ruckert is still buried in a deep tight end room but the projected upgrade at the quarterback position should open the doors for this passing attack to reach new heights in 2023.