Cardinals defensive back Johnathan Joseph retires at age 37

Johnathan Joseph (left) (Keith Allison, Wikimedia Commons)

According to Sam Robinson of Pro Football Rumors on Thursday, Arizona Cardinals defensive back Johnathan Joseph of Rock Hill, South Carolina retired at the age of 37. Joseph played 15 seasons in the National Football League from 2006 to 2020 with the Cincinnati Bengals, Houston Texans, Tennessee Titans, and Arizona Cardinals.

In 11 games last season with Tennessee and Arizona, Joseph had 32 combined tackles (28 solo tackles and four assisted tackles), two tackles for a loss, one interception for five yards, one forced fumble, and six pass deflections. Joseph had his forced fumble and interception in the same game. It came in a 31-30 Titans win over the Minnesota Vikings on September 27.

Joseph was released last season by the Titans on November 3 after seven games. He then signed with the Cardinals on November 11, but only played four games with them because of a neck injury.

Originally selected in the first round, 24th overall, by the Bengals in the 2006 NFL Draft out of South Carolina (where he majored in criminal justice), Joseph went on to play five seasons with the Bengals from 2006 to 2010. In his first two seasons with the Texans in 2011 and 2012, Joseph was selected to the Pro Bowl. In those seasons, he had 101 combined tackles and six interceptions for 128 yards.

In 211 career NFL games, Joseph had 787 combined tackles (670 solo tackles and 117 assisted tackles), 18 tackles for a loss, two quarterback hits, 32 interceptions for 643 yards and seven touchdowns, 200 pass deflections, eight forced fumbles, and six fumble recoveries for 145 yards and another major score.

In the offseason, the Cardinals acquired high-profile cornerback  Malcolm Butler via free agency from the Tennessee Titans. They also lost cornerback Patrick Peterson, who signed with the Minnesota Vikings.

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