Just two weeks ago, Jared Veldheer looked to be heading into his 10th NFL season, signing a free agent deal with the Patriots. That apparently wasn’t for him because with the first day of OTA’s starting today, he has opted instead to retire from football. ESPN’s Mike Reiss first reported Veldheer’s intention.
Veldheer was the Raiders pick in the third round of the 2010 draft. After a few games at center, the former Hilldale College standout moved to left tackle, becoming the team’s full time starter.
He would be the team’s starting left tackle for four seasons, but once his contract was up, former Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie lowballed him and froze him out of contract talks.