Philadelphia Eagles Wide Receiver Abruptly Retires from NFL

The Philadelphia Eagles made some changes to their offensive personnel during the 2024 offseason. The biggest was D’Andre Swift leaving, signing a deal with the Chicago Bears, and being replaced by New York Giants star Saquon Barkley.

Looking to upgrade the wide receiver group behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, several players were on the move. Olamide Zaccheus and Quez Watkins both departed in free agency, signing with the Washington Commanders and Pittsburgh Steelers. 

Taking their spots on the roster were veterans DeVante Parker and Parris Campbell. Alas, it will only be Campbell remaining with the team. In a surprise turn of events, Parker announced his retirement from the NFL weeks after signing a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles.

While Parker was looking forward to playing in Philadelphia, his desire to spend more time with his family outweighed that. With four children at home, that is where his attention is going to be placed.

“I want to see my kids, spend quality time with them,” Parker said. “I want to be there for them whenever I can.”

The 31-year-old Parker was originally a first-round pick by the Miami Dolphins in the 2015 NFL Draft out of Louisville. He spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Dolphins before playing the last two with the New England Patriots before signing with the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason.

“The camaraderie. The brotherhood in the locker room on whichever team it was. Everyone always welcomed me with open arms, and I appreciated them for that,” Parker said when asked about what he will miss most stepping away from the game.

“I also appreciate the Dolphins for drafting me and giving me the opportunity. I always will have love for the Dolphins and their organization,” he said. “And I want to thank all the teams — the Patriots and the Eagles too. But the Dolphins were the first team, and I really want to thank them.”

In his nine seasons, Parker caught 402 passes for 5,660 yards and 27 touchdowns. He had one 1,000-yard campaign in his career in 2019, when he recorded 1,202 with nine touchdowns and 76 receptions, all of which were career highs.