After three years out of football, Prince Amukamara has officially brought his NFL career to an end. The cornerback signed a one-day contract on Thursday to retire as a Giant.
Amukamara began his career in New York after being selected in the first round in 2011. Expectations were high after that decision, which in turn followed a decorated college career at Nebraska. After serving as a backup during his rookie campaign, he operated as a full-time starter for the rest of his Giants tenure.
That spell included the 2011 postseason, which saw New York win the Super Bowl. Amukamara went on to play 55 games with the Giants, and it was with them that he recorded seven of his 10 interceptions and 43 of his 78 pass deflections. His overall career arc included a number of ups and downs, however, and he only secured a one-year deal on the open market during his first foray into free agency. The 6-foot cover man spent 2016 with the Jaguars, then the following three with the Bears.
Amukamara’s first campaign in the Windy City was enough to earn him a three-year, $27M Bears contract in 2018, but he was released two years later. He was nevertheless a full-time starter in Chicago, logging a snap share of at least 89% in each of his seasons with the team. That led to sufficient interest to earn him practice squad stints with the Raiders, Cardinals and Saints. The Colts hosted him on a workout last January, but it did not result in a deal.
At the age of 34, Amukamara has now decided to hang up his cleats for good while returning (symbolically) to where his nine-year career began. In addition to his Super Bowl ring, he will depart the game with just over $46M in career earnings.
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