Former Bears nose tackle Eddie Goldman, who signed a one-year contract with the Falcons on July 6, instead is retiring at 28, the Falcons announced Tuesday.
Goldman, a second-round draft pick (39th overall) by the Bears out of Florida State in 2015, played six seasons with the Bears, but was cut prior to free agency in March with the Bears transitioning to a 4-3 defense under new coach Matt Eberflus. He signed with the Falcons, reuniting with Ryan Pace, the Bears’ former general manager who drafted him and now is a senior personnel executive with the Falcons.
The 6-3, 325-pound Goldman was an immediate contributorwith the Bears and one of the most valuable anchor pieces in the rise of the Bears defense under coordinator Vic Fangio — including the stellar 2018 unit that led the NFL in scoring defense (17.