Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Martrell Spaight has retired

Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Martrell Spaight has decided to retire rather than continue competing for a roster spot with the team.

Earlier this offseason, veteran linebacker Martrell Spaight signed a reserve/futures contract with the Kansas City Chiefs. It was a way for the team to secure some competition at linebacker before free agency began and gave Spaight a new home to focus on making the active roster. After a few months, Spaight has instead decided to call it a career in the NFL after four years in the league, per Dov Kleiman.

Spaight entered the NFL with the Washington Redskins who selected him in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft after making first-team All-SEC at Arkansas in 2014. He’d led the Razorbacks in tackles with 128.

With Washington, he played only a single game during his rookie season and was ultimately placed on injured reserve after suffering a concussion. Spaight returned to play sparingly in 14 games the following year and had only 18 tackles. He finally broke out in Washington a bit more in 2017 when he had 69 total tackles, including 4 for a loss, and 2 passes defended in 6 starts and 15 games in 2017.

When Spaight failed to make the Redskins for his fourth year in the league, he was released and quickly picked up by the Miami Dolphins. That stint was short-lived as was another attempt to play with the Jacksonville Jaguars late last year before signing with the Chiefs last winter.

Spaight, who is only 25, is now retired and gives the Chiefs a roster spot to fill, potentially at linebacker. The Chiefs have cleaned house at the position over the last two years, having brought in an entire new starting cast and even more new faces expected to compete for starting roles this offseason, including Damien Wilson and Darron Lee.