Sam Hubbard's decision to retire from the NFL at 29 years old came as a major surprise to many. Hubbard was an integral part of the Cincinnati Bengals' defense for the past seven seasons since the team selected him in the third round of the 2018 Draft, and he turned in some extremely memorable moments in a Bengals uniform.
Hubbard's retirement decision is likely sad to some, as the veteran defensive end and Ohio native became a fan favorite in Cincinnati. However, the move actually benefits the Bengals when it comes to the salary cap sheet. With his contract off of the books, the Bengals can clear $9.5 million against the salary cap for the upcoming offseason.
Sam Hubbard's retirement clears over $9 million in cap space for Cincinnati
This number is in addition to the over $17 million that the team already opened up by releasing veterans Sheldon Rankins and Alex Cappa. So, with those three players no longer on the books for the 2025 season, the Bengals have cleared more than $26 million in cap space that they could use to work on long-term contracts for key contributors like Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Trey Hendrickson and Mike Gesicki.
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Hubbard had one year remaining on his current contract with the Bengals, but he was being mentioned as a potential cut candidate for Cincinnati after a subpar 2024 campaign, and that certainly could have impacted his decision. He probably didn't like the idea of potentially suiting up in another uniform, as he stressed the fact that playing his entire career in Black-and-Orange was important to him in his retirement announcement.
"To play my entire career in one uniform is incredibly special to me," Hubbard wrote. "And I am a Bengal for life, always have been and always will be."
Hubbard won't be physically helping the Bengals out on the field next season, but he has helped the team by retiring and freeing up additional salary space for them to use elsewhere.