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Veteran RB Rex Burkhead retiring from NFL after 10 seasons

Stephen Samraby:Steve Samra•02/05/24•

SamraSource

Rex Burkhead
© David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

For a decade in the NFL, Rex Burkhead was one of the more underrated running backs in the league, and today he’s calling it a career.

The 33-year-old former Nebraska Cornhuskers star is retiring, he announced on Monday. Burkhead made his mark on numerous franchises throughout his career, including the Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots and Houston Texans.

Burkhead took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to share a lengthy letter, thanking everyone who helped him along his journey in a heartfelt statement. Check it out below.

Moreover, Burkhead flashed immense potential as a member of the Cornhuskers from 2009 to 2012. Over four seasons with the program, Burkhead amassed 3,329 yards and 30 touchdowns on 635 carries, adding 60 receptions for 507 yards and five touchdowns, as well.

That led to Burkhead being selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2013 NFL Draft, chosen with the No. 190 overall pick in the sixth round. He spent four seasons in Cincinnati, playing sparingly his first two seasons, but really came into the picture during his final ride with the Bengals, amassing 344 yards and two touchdowns on 74 carries in 2016.

When Burkhead went to the Patriots in 2017, he truly began to flourish. He became a fixture in the end zone in 2017, scoring eight total touchdowns for New England, and winning a Super Bowl with the franchise in 2018.

After three seasons with the Patriots, Burkhead headed to Houston, where he spent two seasons with the Texans. In 2021, the former Nebraska star set a new career high with 427 yards on the ground, and while he didn’t come close to that mark in 2022, he was at least able to score a touchdown during his final season in the league.

He wasn’t signed by a team in 2023, and elected to retire on Monday as the Super Bowl approached. A heck of a run for a running back that only had 31 yards rushing after his third season in the league.

Congratulations on a great NFL career to Rex Burkhead, and good luck to the former Nebraska, Bengals, Patriots and Texans running back in whatever comes next for him.