Ben Watson, who spent 14 years in the NFL as a reliable pass-catching tight end, announced Thursday that he plans to retire from professional football at the age of 38, per Josh Katzenstein of the Times-Picayune.
Watson has played all 15 games this season with the New Orleans Saints, ranking third on the team with 33 catches to go with his 371 yards and two touchdowns.
A first-round draft pick of the New England Patriots in 2004, Watson's career started on a rough note when a knee injury derailed his rookie campaign after just one game.