Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Vance McDonald retired at age 30 after eight seasons.
“My family and I are so grateful for everything NFL football has provided us in our life — all the memories both good and the difficult, the relationships and friends we’ve made along the way, the life lessons the game provided both me and my loved ones,” McDonald said in a statement, via the team’s official website. “It’s always been our dream and mission to leverage the platform given us through the NFL to help serve and uplift others along the way, and we will continue to find ways to serve others as we begin this next chapter of our lives. I am proud to retire a Steeler.”
McDonald was acquired by the Steelers in 2017 after four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, who drafted him in the second round in 2013.
He had 117 receptions and eight touchdowns with Pittsburgh and posted 181 catches for 2,036 yards and 15 scores in his NFL career.
McDonald, the Steelers’ nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, plans to become even more active in social justice issues.
“I am appreciative of Vance’s contributions during the last four years of his career that he spent in Pittsburgh,” said coach Mike Tomlin. “He was a class act on and off the field, leading many of our efforts in the community while also being a voice for our social justice efforts and the community work during the pandemic. I wish he and his family nothing but the best in his retirement and his continued work to be a pillar in the community.”
