Jason Hatcher Retires: Latest Comments and Reaction

Former Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins defensive lineman Jason Hatcher is reportedly set to retire from the NFL.

His agent, Jordan Woy, passed along word the of the decision on Friday.  

Hatcher, 33, knew retirement was an option heading into the offseason. He said in January that Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan told him he'd be interested if the defensive end wanted to keep playing, but it was always going to come down to his family, per Rich Tandler of CSN Mid-Atlantic.

"I still love the game, I've just got to pray about it and see what my family said about it," Hatcher said. "[McCloughan's] a great guy, I'm glad I met him. He believed in me as a leader and as a player. It's hard to not come back. But at the same time I've got to do what's best for me and the family."

There hadn't been much buzz around him in the months since those comments. Kristian Garic of WWL Radio reported he visited the New Orleans Saints in his native Louisiana last month, but that was the extent of the talk after Washington let him go for cap reasons in March.

The Cowboys selected Hatcher in the third round of the 2006 draft. He went on to rack up 205 combined tackles and 27 sacks across 119 games with the organization. His best season came in 2013 when he reached double-digits sacks for the only time with 11.

Former Dallas teammate Rudy Carpenter commented on the retirement decision:

He then joined the division-rival Redskins for two years starting in 2014. He registered 45 combined tackles and 7.5 sacks as part of the team's line rotation for 28 games.

Although Hatcher never reached superstar status, he was a highly reliable lineman for a decade who set a strong example for younger players as his career went on. Among the accolades he earned during his career was a Pro Bowl selection in 2013 for his career-best campaign.

Now he's decided hang up the cleats and move on to the next stage of his life.