Ex-Saints, Titans Safety Kenny Vaccaro Retires from NFL to Start Esports Organization

Former NFL safety Kenny Vaccaro has officially retired from the league to move into the world of esports. 

Per a statement released by Vaccaro, he is teaming up with professional gamers Hunter Swensson and Cody Hendrix to launch G1, also known as Gamers First:

Per the Gamers First website, the organization's mission is to "prove that character, drive, passion and energy far outweigh the importance of talent alone."

Speaking to ESPN's Turron Davenport, Vaccaro did note he is "technically" still a free agent. 

"But this is where my mind has been the past six months," he said. "I'm happy where I'm at, doing what I'm doing. I just really felt like this was something deep down inside that I wanted to do."

Davenport noted Vaccaro has recently received offers from multiple NFL teams, including Super Bowl contenders, but he bypassed those opportunities to play in the Halo World Championship. 

G1 is based in Austin, Texas, and has already signed eight professional gamers. According to Davenport, the organization's first full roster will be announced on Dec. 8. 

Vaccaro was a first-round draft pick (No. 15 overall) by the New Orleans Saints in 2013. He spent the first five years of his career with the Saints before signing a four-year deal with the Tennessee Titans as a free agent in March 2019. 

After starting 29 games for the Titans over the past two seasons, Vaccaro was released by the club in March.