Rodney Hudson reportedly considering retiring from NFL

The Arizona Cardinals are caught in a bit of a bind at this point in the summer. That’s because the organization isn’t sure whether or not they can count on veteran center Rodney Hudson to suit up and play another season.

Hudson was recently missing during the team’s mandatory minicamp, and head coach Kliff Kingsbury noted that it was not an excused absence.

The Cardinals added Hudson last offseason when the Las Vegas Raiders made it known that they were going to release him in a cost-cutting measure heading into the 2021 season. Per a report from Peter King, the Raiders floated the potential release and got the Cards to buy in on a low-level trade instead of losing him for nothing. What was key for the Raiders, however, is that they also kept the Chiefs from reuniting with Hudson in the process.

Former Kansas City Chiefs center Rodney Hudson is reportedly considering retirement from the Arizona Cardinals.

The Chiefs had an interest in Hudson at the time as part of an overall revamp of the entire offensive line. They were able to sign Joe Thuney but they missed out on free agent tackle Trent Williams and Hudson was instead traded to the desert. In the end, the Chiefs lucked out when Creed Humphrey fell to them in the second round of the draft (although it’s safe to assume the Chiefs would have used that pick to bolster another position with Hudson in place).

Hudson first entered the league with the Chiefs as the team’s second-round pick back in 2011 and he became the team’s instant starter at center. Hudson started four seasons for K.C. before taking a big-money deal in free agency from the Raiders before the 2015 season.

Hudson has played in 155 games in his NFL career and is known as one of the league’s better centers of his generation. He has three Pro Bowls to show for it, the last one coming in 2019.