Year in review: Athletes who retired in 2021

Braun wrapped up his MLB career after 14 seasons in Milwaukee. He won the 2007 NL Rookie of the Year and 2011 NL MVP, also making six career All-Star appearances with 352 career home runs.

As expected, Brees ended his NFL career after 20 seasons. He's a surefire Hall of Famer with 13 Pro Bowls, two Offensive Player of the Year Awards, and one Super Bowl victory. Brees led the league in completion percentage six times and passing yards seven times.

Davis led the AL in home runs in 2013 and 2015 with the Orioles, infamously earning him a seven-year, $161 million contract. He saw a steep decline in performance in his early 30's and wasn't able to live up to the contract before injuries forced him to retire.

Davis was a key member of the Royals 2015 World Series squad, and that season also began a streak of three straight All-Star seasons. The closer pitched 13 seasons, recording 141 career saves.

Dudley retired after 14 seasons in the NBA with seven different teams. He was a productive forward for the Sums early in his career and won an NBA title with the Lakers in 2020.

One of Tom Brady's favorite receivers during a 12-year run in New England, Edelman was a well-known three-time Super Bowl champ despite never making a Pro Bowl. He did have over 1,000 yards receiving three times in his career after transitioning from college quarterback to NFL wideout.

Gore had almost unprecedented longevity for an NFL running back, playing 16 seasons in the league for the 49ers, Colts, Dolphins, Bills, and Jets. He ended his career with exactly 16,000 yards rushing and five Pro Bowls. He has since started his career as a boxer.

Lee was a two-time Pro Bowl linebacker for the Cowboys in a career that spanned 11 seasons. He struggled to stay healthy for much of his career but was one of the most identifiable Cowboys players of the last decade.

Lloyd called it quits on her storied soccer career. She won two Olympic gold medals and two Women's World Cups for the US Women's National Team, also being named FIFA Player of the Year in 2015 and 2016.

McCoy had an excellent 12-year NFL career with the Eagles, Bills, Chiefs, and Buccaneers. He made six Pro Bowls, retiring with exactly 15,000 yards from scrimmage. McCoy was also able to go out on top, winning the Super Bowl in each of his last two seasons with Kansas City and Tampa Bay.

Miller retired after 19 seasons in the NHL, spending most of his career with the Sabres. He won the Vezina Trophy in 2009-2010 as the league's top goalie.

Murphy played 12 seasons in MLB for the Mets, Nationals, Cubs, and Rockies. He made three All-Star appearances and finished second in the NL MVP voting in 2016 after hitting .347-25-104 as Washington's starting second baseman.

Noah announced his retirement from basketball after a 13-year career with the Bulls, Knicks, Grizzlies, and Clippers. The center had two All-Star appearances and was the 2013-14 Defensive Player of the Year.

After 14 years as an NFL tight end, Olsen retired to join the FOX broadcast booth. He made the Pro Bowl three times with Carolina from 2014-2016.

Posey returned for the 2021 season after opting out of 2020 and went out on top, making his seventh career All-Star appearance. He earned plenty of hardware in his career, winning the 2010 NL Rookie of the Year, 2012 NL MVP, as well as three World Series with the Giants.

Pouncey made the Pro Bowl in all but one of his 10 NFL seasons, establishing himself as the best center of his era. The Steeler was a trustworthy blocker for Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers.

A terrific shooter during his 15-year NBA career, Redick shot better than 41% from three. He played for six different teams, most notably with the Magic and Clippers.

Rivers played 16 seasons with the Chargers before one final year as a Colt. His outstanding career included eight Pro Bowl appearances, and he never missed a game from 2006-2020.

Rinne manned the goal in Nashville for 15 seasons, winning the Vezina Trophy in 2017-2018. He also made two All-Star appearances.

Robben had a terrific career as a goal scorer for several club teams, including Bayern Munich, as well as the Netherlands Men's National Team. He made four World Cup appearances for the Dutch.

Rooney was one of the best English soccer players of his era, spending most of his professional career with Manchester United. He's the England Men's National Team's all-time leading scorer.

The first overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, Smith had a very good career with the 49ers, Chiefs, and Washington. He made three Pro Bowls with the Chiefs, but his greatest accomplishment could be his miraculous comeback in 2020 from a life-threatening leg injury.

Tebow finally put his attempt at an MLB career to an end in 2021 after multiple seasons in the minor leagues, but that wasn't the last of his athletic endeavors. He was granted a tryout in Jaguars training camp as a tight end by his former college coach, Urban Meyer, after being out of the league since 2012 as a former quarterback.

Vinatieri could be remembered as the most accomplished kicker in NFL history, winning four Super Bowls with the Patriots and Colts. He was a three-time Pro Bowler over his 24-year career.

Witten retired after the 2017 season to join the Monday Night Football broadcast booth, but he retired to play two seasons with the Cowboys and Raiders. The future Hall of Fame tight end made the Pro Bowl 11 times.