Philadelphia Eagles: Jeremy Maclin sends out a message in light of his retirement

Former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin sends out a message a week after he’s ready to retire from the NFL.

Back in 2009, the Philadelphia Eagles selected Missouri wide receiver Jeremy Maclin in the first round with the 19th overall pick. Maclin would then spend five seasons in Philadelphia before leaving the team to join the Kansas City Chiefs. At the time, Maclin’s departure was a bit puzzling. He would leave the team that drafted him, where he had much success, especially at the specific time of his contract year where he had his long Pro Bowl season in 2014.

The Eagles attempted to get Maclin back, but he had his mind made up rather quickly and went back to Andy Reid in Kansas City. In hindsight, the move made sense as Philly was clearly a toxic situation with Chip Kelly. But Maclin, being the class act that he is, doesn’t want to sit back and dwell on that. The 30-year-old wideout might’ve called it quits early due to many unfortunate injuries, but he has plenty to be thankful for when it comes to the Eagles.

We found out recently that Maclin was going to retire recently thanks to a video that made its rounds on the internet of him speaking at a family event. Maclin waited a bit, but recently he took to social media to address his retirement with an official announcement. Here’s the entire graphic, where Maclin issues us an update on his health and gives thanks.

Maclin calls it a career

While it’s hard to read, Maclin does promise a follow-up video at some point. However, we will highlight the moments in this letter where Maclin shouts out the Eagles organization, his former teammates, and of course you, the fans. So let’s get to it.

To the Philadelphia Eagles organization…

"“Where do I start? Jeffery Lurie, Howie Roseman, Andy Reid, Marty Morningweg, and David Culley. Thank you for taking a chance and drafting me. I appreciate the opportunity you guys gave me to play in front of a fan base and city that is second to none. Big Red [Andy Reid] and Culley, ya’ll have helped me become the man I am today. Your loyalty and honesty is something that I will cherish for the rest of my life. The memories I have playing in that midnight green still give me chills.”“I’ll never forget DJac [DeSean Jackson] and me talking trash to defensive backs every time we stepped foot on the field. I’ll never forget Asante telling us he’s getting a pick and 2 plays later he gets a pick. I’ll never forget Shady turning negative run plays into big explosive run plays. I’ll never forget how true Jason Avant stayed to himself no matter what the situation was winning or losing. Celek, JP, and Kelce, I will always have respect for how professional you guys are”“I will never forget watching how dominant Fletch, BG, and Trent were in those trenches. I’ll never forget catching a bomb from one of my childhood idols, Vick in our first rep together in practice. Foles, I can go on all day about you. Since you were a rook I have been a fan and will always be a fan. Ertz and JMatt, the friendly competition between us during the 2014 season was a blast.”To the fans of Philly….WOW! What else can I say? Amazing! The number of people that impacted my life in a positive way on and off the field in Philadelphia is massive and I’m forever thankful for them. Philly will always hold a special place in my heart. #FlyEaglesFly forever!”"