Jets OL Cameron Clark ending football career due to risk of paralysis

Cameron Clark was selected by the New York Jets in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft less than two years ago. Now, due to injury concerns, Clark is calling it a career.

The offensive lineman out of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte missed the entire 2021 campaign after suffering a spinal-cord injury in training camp. Clark suited up for the Charlotte 49ers from 2015 to 2019.

"Based on the advice of Dr. Andrew Hecht, a prominent orthopedic surgeon at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York, Cameron will not be able to continue to play football for the New York Jets," Clark's agent, Alan Herman, told ESPN.

The 24-year-old was told that he would risk paralysis if he continued to play, according to ESPN's Rich Cimini.

Clark suffered the injury during an 11-on-11 period on Aug. 3, 2021, at the Jets' training facility in Florham Park, N.J. He was "motionless for several minutes on the ground," per Cimini, and was taken to a local hospital via ambulance.

Cimini added that at the time, the organization called it a spinal-cord contusion and said that Clark would make a full recovery. However, the Greensboro, N.C., native was placed on injured reserve on Aug. 17 of last year and never ended up taking a snap in a regular-season game.