Former Rams First-Round Wide Receiver Officially Retiring From the NFL

The Los Angeles Rams saw one of their former first-round picks officially hang up their cleats on Tuesday, ending a solid professional football career.

On Tuesday, veteran wide receiver Tavon Austin posted on Instagram that he’s retiring from the NFL after 10 years. Austin posted a long heartfelt message, thanking the fans, teammates, coaches, staff, and his family.

The 5-foot-8 wide receiver was selected with the eighth overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams. Austin was coming off a tremendous four-year career at West Virginia that saw him record back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and score 29 receiving touchdowns.

Rams fans hoped that Austin would bring that same big play ability to St. Louis, and for the most part, he played well for the organization.

As a rookie, Austin posted 40 receptions (69 targets) for 418 yards and four touchdowns despite only starting in three out of 13 games. The former first-round pick’s best season with the Rams came in 2016 when they moved to Los Angeles.

Austin recorded 58 receptions (106 targets) for 509 yards and three touchdowns. Overall, the former first-round pick had 194 receptions for 1,689 yards and 12 scores in his five-year career with the Rams.

The Rams re-signed Austin in Mar. 2018 but traded him to the Dallas Cowboys a month later, where he played two seasons. After his time with the Cowboys, the veteran wide receiver spent time with the Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Buffalo Bills to end his career.

The former Rams draft pick most recently worked out for the Seattle Seahawks in 2023, but now will move onto the next stage of his life post-football. Rams fans won’t forget what he did for the franchise during the early 2010s, especially having the moniker of being one of the most explosive players in college football.

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