Former MN Vikings Linebacker Calls It a Career

The Minnesota Vikings started training camp this week and Warren Sharp called their defensive front seven the best in the league. That hasn’t been the case in quite some time, and it’s due to the additions they made on the line.

The linebacker tandem of Ivan Pace Jr. and Blake Cashman flashed well last year. It was the Minnesota-native Cashman that came home after Jordan Hicks signed with the Cleveland Browns.

Hicks signed a two-year deal with Cleveland for $8 million. The veteran played the first year of that contract in 2024, but that’s where things will end.

Jordan Hicks retiring from the NFL

The Cleveland Browns linebacker position lacked depth this season. They targeted Carson Schwesinger in the NFL Draft, and assumed that veteran Jordan Hicks would be present for the second year of his deal. He was absent at the start of training camp, and now has provided a reason why.

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Last season, his only one with the Browns, Hicks played in 12 games. He missed time due to a multitude of different injuries last season, and famously suffered a serious injury with Minnesota in 2023.

Hicks suffered a shin contusion against the New Orleans Saints on November 12, 2023. It didn’t seem like anything out of the ordinary, but developed into compartment syndrome and needed to be rushed to the hospital. He returned six weeks later and finished the final three games of the regular season.

With Cleveland last season Hicks recorded two sacks and 78 tackles. He added four tackles for loss and five quarterback hits. It was the culmination of 10 seasons in the NFL. He concludes his career with 16.5 sacks and 952 total tackles.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Tight End Quietly Sitting on Big Season?

Hicks spent two seasons with Minnesota and was seen as a solid veteran leader. His only career fumble return for a touchdown came on October 15, 2023 against the Chicago Bears.

At 33 years old Hicks has plenty of life ahead of him to live. He earned just shy of $44 million over the course of his career. The veteran linebacker also leaves the game with a Super Bowl Ring from his 2017 season with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Cleveland Browns will now have to figure out how they’ll move forward at the position. It’s just the latest iteration of another knock against an organization that has become synonymous with them.