Dolphins left tackle Terron Armstead’s retirement was precipitated by a lingering knee injury that wasn’t getting better, left him unable to walk under his own power after games and forced him to use pain medication. Armstead said on the Nightcap Show that he decided to walk away when he realized, “I just can’t perform at the same level.” The 33-year-old Armstead played 12 NFL seasons but said a knee injury that he initially suffered in 2015 never fully healed. “I’ve been dealing with a knee since my third year in the league,” Armstead said. “I didn’t see a practice field at all, and not because I didn’t want to or the Dolphins just wanted me to rest. It’s like I literally couldn’t walk. After a game on Sunday, I wouldn’t be able to walk on my own, under my own power, until Wednesday, Thursday. So I was only able to play under the pain meds. I couldn’t put any pressure on my knee, so it was like, I can’t keep doing that to myself.” Armstead’s story is a common one, as life in the NFL often takes a painful toll on its players. Eventually, Armstead decided he couldn’t do it anymore.
