Former Cardinals RB Kenyan Drake announces retirement from NFL

Longtime NFL running back Kenyan Drake, who picked up over 1,500 rushing yards across two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, announced his retirement on Friday.

The Cardinals traded a conditional 2020 draft pick to the Miami Dolphins for Drake during the 2019 season with running back David Johnson hampered by injuries. Drake ran for 643 yards over eight games, scoring eight touchdowns and picking up another 171 yards through the air playing in first-year head coach Kliff Kingsbury’s offense.

Drake signed a one-year tender with the Cardinals for the 2020 season, and he just missed the 1,000-yard milestone with a career-high 955 rushing yards in 15 games. He also gained 137 yards through the air and scored a career-best 10 touchdowns.

 

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Drake was a third-round pick out of Alabama by Miami, and he spent his first 3.5 seasons with the Dolphins.

He later played for the Las Vegas Raiders, Baltimore Ravens and Green Bay Packers before calling it a career. He also spent stints with the Indianapolis Colts and Cleveland Browns but never played in a game for either.

“Hard to believe 8 seasons have come and gone,” Drake, 30, wrote on Instagram.

“I’ve loved the journey – the wins, the moments big and small, the camaraderie, the energy, all of it. I can’t say I loved everything (if you’ve ever done training camp in Miami you can relate lol), but certainly appreciate the lows and the grind, and know those moments grew me as a football player and more importantly as a person. Ready to enjoy a little retirement and see where the next chapter takes me. Thanks to everyone that was along for the ride with me – wouldn’t change a thing.”

Drake ranks 18th in Cardinals franchise history with 18 rushing touchdowns, one back of Jim Otis. He is third in rushing yards per game at 69.5, only trailing Ottis Anderson (80.8) and Adrian Peterson (74.7).

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