After joining the team in 2020, James Hurst was without a doubt the most adaptable offensive lineman for the New Orleans Saints. He was perhaps the team’s most valuable offensive lineman at the time.
He obviously left a big hole on the offensive line for the Saints on Wednesday when he announced his retirement from the NFL following 10 seasons (six with Baltimore) and 150 games played, 60 of which he started for New Orleans.
“Twenty-four of my thirty-two years of life have been spent training for and playing this game and retiring will be a huge, yet exciting, change in my life,” Hurst wrote in part of his Instagram announcement of his retirement.
Hurst said, “Thank you for the laughs and the memories,” for his teammates. I can’t talk football without acknowledging the risks associated with the game and the sacrifices that everyone of you makes, therefore I appreciate your effort and willingness to put your bodies in danger with me. I hope that each of you felt the same way about me since you sacrificed everything to assist us achieve our shared objectives. Off the field, many of you became some of my closest friends, and I will always treasure our time spent together.”
Hurst spent his four seasons as a collegiate player at North Carolina before becoming a free agency in 2014. He filled every offensive line position with the exception of centre during his time with the Saints. Hurst started at four positions throughout the season in 2021: left (eight) and right (three) tackle, left guard (two), and extra lineman (two). In the previous year, he opened games at left tackle (one), left guard (13), and right guard (one).
Hurst began 46 of his final 48 games with the Saints, including his final 31, after starting five of his 12 games in 2020, his debut season in New Orleans.
He played left tackle, left guard, and right tackle for the Ravens for six seasons before moving to New Orleans.
“A huge thank you to both the Ravens and Saints organizations for giving me a chance to pursue my dream in the NFL,” he wrote in a letter. “I appreciate you taking the time to help me develop into the player and man I am today. As I’ve become older, I’ve come to understand the enormous sacrifice you’ve made on behalf of all of my teammates and myself.”
Hurst’s retirement was expected, but it increases the number of roles that need to be filled in New Orleans.
Andrus Peat is an unrestricted free agent. He started the final 11 games of the previous season at left tackle. After starting the first five games in 2023 at left tackle, Trevor Penning—a first-round selection in 2022—was benched for lacklustre play. When Penning and Peat were at left tackle, Hurst typically started at left guard.
The Saints are also keeping an eye on right tackle Ryan Ramczyk, who had knee surgery offseason, to see how he is doing.
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