Former Bears, Raiders, and Giants wide receiver announces retirement at 28 to pursue unexpected new career

Former wide receiver Collin Johnson announced Thursday that he is retiring from the NFL.

The former fifth-round pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2020 NFL Draft revealed he is quitting pro football to pursue a master’s degree from MIT at its Sloan School of Management.

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“Football has shaped my life in more ways than I can put into words,” he wrote in an Instagram post. “It taught me faith, discipline, resilience, leadership, and how to compete at the highest level. I’m thankful for every teammate, coach, organization, and person who helped me along the way.”

Johnson, 28, added that “Football changed my life” and he said that he was “Thankful to everyone who has been part of my journey.”

Collin Johnson reveals post NFL career move after announcing retirement

Johnson also said he would be continuing to work on Beyond Sports, a development and educational platform to help current and former athletes build businesses.

“I’m grateful to share that I’ll be enrolling at MIT Sloan this fall to pursue my MBA,” he wrote on X. “At the same time, I’ve made the decision to retire from the NFL.

“For a long time, athletes have been seen as endorsers of other people’s companies,” he wrote. “I believe we can be the founders, operators, investors, and owners behind them too. Grateful for the game. Excited for what’s next.”

Johnson is a 6-foot-5 wide receiver originally from Los Angeles who played his college football for the Texas Longhorns.

He was drafted by the Jags and signed a four-year rookie deal worth $3,602,150 that includes a signing bonus of $307,150.

He played 14 games for the Jags, catching 18 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns, but was among Jacksonville’s final roster cuts.

He was claimed by the New York Giants in September of 2021 and appeared in 12 games and had 11 catches for 105 yards for the G Men that year.

However, Johnson missed the 2022 season with a torn Achilles and was cut by the team after the preseason in 2022.

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Between 2023 and 2024, he played 12 games for the Chicago Bears and caught two passes for 17 yards.

Johnson joined the Las Vegas Raiders during the 2025 offseason but was ultimately cut at the end of training camp.

In his career, Johnson appeared in 38 games over four years for the Jaguars, Giants and Bears. In total, he caught 31 passes for 394 yards and two touchdowns.

Retirement rife in NFL right now

It is the latest in several retirements seen across the league recently.

Last week, former Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Jaren Hall announced his retirement.

Former Patriots and Bears cornerback Joejuan Williams also called time on his career after following a financial precedent set by Rob Gronkowski.

Elsewhere, a Bears rookie faster than Tyreek Hill also abruptly retired, as did 23-year-old Dolphins rookie Le’Veon Moss.

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