National Football League

Arizona Cardinals tight end John Carlson retires

Published May. 5, 2015 2:06 p.m. ET

foxsports

The Arizona Cardinals are losing a tight end to retirement for the second straight season.

Last year, tight end Jake Ballard retired during training camp and this year tight end John Carlson has decided to hang it up after six years in the NFL.

Carlson only played one year in Arizona, but played in all 16 games and caught at least one pass in each game last season. He issued a statement to the Cardinals official team site.

"After much thought and consideration, my wife Danielle and I know that this is best decision for us. I was blessed to play seven seasons in the NFL for three tremendous organizations - the Cardinals, Vikings and Seahawks. I will always treasure the experiences and relationships made during that time but I'm also very excited about the next phase of my life and what's ahead."

(h/t Arizona Cardinals)