National Football League

Cardinals lose tight end John Carlson to surprise retirement

Published May. 5, 2015 2:01 p.m. ET

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TEMPE, Ariz. -- Cardinals tight end John Carlson pulled a shocker on Tuesday when he announced his retirement.

"After much thought and consideration, my wife Danielle and I know that this is best decision for us," Carlson said in a statement released by the team. "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."

Carlson, who turns 31 next week, did not give specific reasons for his retirement, so it's unknown if his concussion history played a role. He suffered at least five per a story in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune in 2014. Per the Cardinals website, he was participating in workouts on Monday.

Carlson signed as a free agent before the 2014 season and was being counted on to improve the team's receiving threat at that position. He had 33 receptions for 350 yards and a touchdown in 16 games last season. For his career, Carlson posted 210 receptions for 2,256 yards and 15 touchdowns in six seasons with Seattle, Minnesota and Arizona.

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