Rams running back Sony Michel announces retirement at 28 after five seasons in the NFL
- Michel was drafted from Georgia to the Patriots, where he scored the only touchdown in Super Bowl LIII – the last title won by Tom Brady in New England
- He was traded to LA in 2021 and he led them to rush into their title year
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Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay told NFL Network that running back Sony Michel has retired from football.
McVay said he spoke to the running back this morning – who then informed him of his decision.
Michel was a first-round pick from the University of Georgia who would go on to win several Super Bowls during his time in the league. He won Super Bowl LIII with the New England Patriots – the last Super Bowl Tom Brady won with them.
Michel scored the only touchdown in Super Bowl LIII – a low-scoring defensive affair that saw the running back beat his future employer, the Rams.
In Los Angeles, Michel was relegated to a backup role behind Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson – but he played in Super Bowl LVI, which the Rams won.
Los Angeles Rams running back Sony Michel has announced his retirement from the NFL
Michel (1) was a superstar at Georgia – winning the Rose Bowl on that touchdown run. After the Bulldogs lost the national title to Alabama, Michel was selected 31st overall by New England.
Michel (26) scored the only Super Bowl LIII touchdown – the last Super Bowl title the Patriots won and the last Tom Brady (behind) won in New England
In college, Michel was part of a fearsome tailback pairing with fellow Georgian Nick Chubb.
In 2017, his fourth year with the Bulldogs, Michel rushed for 1,227 yards and had 16 touchdowns.
He rushed for 181 yards and three touchdowns, including a 2018 Rose Bowl double-overtime winning TD to beat Oklahoma and send Georgia to the CFP National Championship Game in Atlanta. There, the Bulldogs lost to Alabama in overtime.
The Patriots drafted Michel 31st overall in the 2017 draft and he took on an RB rotation role alongside James White and Rex Burkhead.
In his rookie season, Michel played in 13 games and rushed for a career-high 931 yards. He racked up six rushing touchdowns in rushing attempts in 2019.
This offseason, Michel played in three games and rushed for 336 yards and six touchdowns.
That included his Super Bowl LIII totals — where he led all rushers with 94 yards and scored the lone touchdown in a 13-3 win that gave the Patriots a record sixth Super Bowl title.
Michel would play two more seasons in New England, bringing his total rushing yards to 2,292 and scoring 14 rushing touchdowns.
Michel (trophy holder) was one of the best runners for the Patriots during his three years in New England
After a trade with the Rams, Michel was one of the best runners and they won Super Bowl LVI
Michel (20) signed with the Chargers in the 2022 offseason and was cut mid-season last year
Prior to the start of the 2021 NFL season, Michel was dealt to the Rams in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the 2022 draft (used to draft Chasen Hines) and a fourth-round draft pick of 2023 (used for Jake Andrews draft).
He ended up playing in a reduced capacity, but still led the Rams in rushing yards with 845.
These Rams won Super Bowl LVI 23-20 over the Cincinnati Bengals. Michel had just two total yards in that game.
Michel signed with the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency in 2022, playing 10 games and rushing for 106 yards as a replacement for Austin Ekeler. Michel was cut on New Years Eve 2022 and signed with the Dolphins practice squad.
In June 2023, Michel re-signed with the Rams – before announcing his retirement on Saturday. He finished his career with 3,243 total yards on 779 carries in 65 games played with 18 rushing touchdowns.