Guard Justin Pugh announces his retirement after 11 NFL seasons with the Giants and Cardinals

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) – Longtime NFL guard Justin Pugh announced Friday he is retiring after playing 11 seasons with the New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals.

Pugh returned to Giants training camp to call it a career a few weeks before his 35th birthday with his wife, daughter and mother among those in attendance. The Syracuse product from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, played in 134 regular-season and playoff games from 2012-23.

“Even though I never dreamed of being an offensive lineman, it was my calling,” Pugh said. “I was built to work alongside other guys. I was built to be part of a five-man unit that had to work as one.”

Pugh spent his first five years as a pro with New York, then five with Arizona. He tore the ACL in his right knee in 2022 and returned for 12 more games with the Giants in 2023.

“Thought I was going to do another one,” Pugh said. “Just didn’t have it in the tank.”

Pugh has already dabbled in sports media, doing YouTube videos last season from attending Thursday night games and hosting on SiriusXM NFL Radio.