After spending a decade in the NFL, Damon "Snacks" Harrison officially announced his retirement. Harrison made the announcement on his "Snacks and Sonny" show and noted that he simply didn't have the desire to get back on the field. The 32-year-old -- who last played for the Green Bay Packers in 2020 -- said that he had opportunities to play in the league this season but didn't have that "want to" to suit up again.
"It's been a long time coming," said Harrison. "I've had conversations with my family and we've talked about it. I've had opportunities to play this year, at the beginning of the year, and even throughout the season up until now. ... Today, I will officially be retiring from the NFL. I waited this long just to see if that desire and that 'want to' would still be there and it hasn't been. I love the game of football, but I don't miss it. If I can't go out there and play with that aggression and passion that's made the player that I am today, I just can't do it.
"Again, I've known since the offseason that this was going to be the case, but I wanted to see if it would be a little like last year. Midway through the season last year, I felt like I wanted to play, so I went out and played, but I'm just not getting that feeling this year, so I'm officially going to be stepping away."
Harrison entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of William Penn in 2012. He signed on with the New York Jets and appeared in five games as a rookie. He became a starter in 2013 and grew into a key piece along the front seven. After four seasons with the Jets, Harrison would sign a five-year contract with the Giants that paid him $9.25 million per season. During that first season with the Giants, he was named a first-team All-Pro after totaling 86 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
In 2018, Harrison was traded to the Detroit Lions where he'd play two seasons. After that, he signed on with the Seahawks practice squad in October of 2020 and eventually had a short stint with the Packers later that year. Throughout the 2021 campaign, he remained a free agent as he continued to determine if he wanted to keep playing.
Harrison walks away from the NFL after totaling 494 tackles, 11 sacks, and five forced fumbles in 124 career regular season
