Report: Former Oregon star Kiko Alonso retires from NFL

Former Oregon standout linebacker and NFL veteran linebacker Kiko Alonso has retired from the NFL following one practice with the New Orleans Saints. Brooke Kirchhofer of WWL-TV in New Orleans was the first to report the news.

Alonso’s career spanned six seasons from 2013-2019 as a journeyman with stints in Buffalo, Philadelphia, Miami and New Orleans. After earning NFL honors as a rookie with 159 total tackles and four interceptions with the Bills, Alonso struggled until he landed in Miami in 2016. There, Alonso would compile 355 of his 588 career tackles for three seasons.

The former Oregon Ducks linebacker played in 13 games for New Orleans during his last NFL season in 2019 before a torn ACL would complicate his time on the field for the next three years.

The news comes as a surprise to many, especially Saints head coach Dennis Allen who commented on Alonso’s signing and what he could have brought to the New Orleans organization less than 24 hours before Alonso’s retirement.

“We have some familiarity with the player, he did a nice job on his workout,” Allen said. “He was in shape, looked good. And when he’s been healthy, he’s been a productive player in our league. And so, that was kind of what drew us to him.”