Former Atlanta Falcons Wide Receiver Announces His Retirement

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga – Former Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Mohamed Sanu has officially announced his retirement from the NFL. 

“After 10+ years in the NFL, my playing chapter is closing,” Sanu wrote in announcement on his personal social media. “Grateful for every coach, teammate & fan. Excited to give back through coaching & share the game in a new way with the FactsOverStats Podcast. The journey continues…” 

Sanu, 36, played 10 years in the league, but has not appeared in a regular season games since 2021. The wide receiver was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third-round, and he played four seasons there and caught 152 passes for 1,793 yards and 11 touchdowns over 57 games. 

He then left Cincinnati and game to the Falcons as a free agent, where he experienced the best years of his career. Matched up alongside Matt Ryan and Julio Jones in Atlanta, Sanu broke out. He piled up 225 receptions for 2,507 yards receiving and 14 touchdowns over 53 games.

His time in Atlanta was highlighted by one of the best offenses in NFL history in 2016, when the Falcons scored the seventh-most points in a single season and Ryan took home the league’s MVP en route to a Super Bowl appearance. 

Sanu added 653 yards and four touchdowns on 59 receptions that season, his first in Atlanta.

The fan favorite was also known as a sneaky good passer. He attempted eight passes in his career, completing seven, for 233 yards and four touchdowns. 

Sanu’s time in Atlanta finished midway through the 2019 season, and the Falcons traded him to New England for a second-round pick. He played just eight games, recording 26 catches for 207 yards and a touchdowns for the Patriots after suffering an ankle injury.

The Falcons packaged that acquired draft capital and turned it into tight end, Hayden Hurst.

Sanu’s ankle injury hampered him moving forward, and he was released by the Patriots the following season. He then bounced around to San Francisco, then to the Detroit Lions in 2020, and back to San Francisco in 2021. He had 15 catches for 177 yards in his final season with the 49ers. 

He was with the Miami Dolphins in 2022, but did not make the active roster. 

After Sanu made his retirement official, the Atlanta Falcons’ social media team quickly acknowledled the fan-favorite.