Making the NFL is every college player’s dream. But for Le’Veon Moss, that dream only lasted 4 days. The Miami Dolphins fans were left stunned after the rookie running back suddenly decided to retire. Miami had signed Moss on May 8 as an undrafted free agent to a three-year contract, and then he joined his team at the rookie minicamp. However, just four days after signing with the Dolphins, Moss chose to step away from the NFL.

The team officially placed him on the reserve/retired list, which means he is no longer part of the active roster for now. Injuries may have played a big role in his decision. During his final college season at Texas A&M Aggies, Moss suffered a serious ankle injury while playing against the Florida Gators in October. Before getting hurt, he played only five games but still rushed for 389 yards and scored six touchdowns, showing his potential.

But after the injury, he had to miss the final six games of the season. This affected his draft stock, pushing him to the 3rd or 4th round in mock drafts. Moss eventually went undrafted. Even though he was able to return for the Aggies playoff game against the Miami Hurricanes, the injuries had taken a hard toll on him, and he wasn’t in his best form. In that game, he rushed for only 15 yards as Texas A&M lost out in the first round.

After dealing with injuries, recovery, and the pressure of trying to earn a spot in the NFL, Moss eventually decided to step away from football. Sometimes the game becomes very hard physically and mentally, especially for young players whose bodies are already struggling with injuries before their professional careers truly begin. That’s exactly what happened to Moss.

 

What’s worse is that the team already signed him, giving him a $258,000 guaranteed contract, but even then, he is not with them anymore. Looking at his growth, many analysts thought he had a real shot at the Dolphins roster. During his time with the Aggies, he rushed for 1,767 yards and scored 22 touchdowns on 321 carries. He also contributed in the passing game with 24 catches for 236 receiving yards.

Well, the Dolphins already have several running backs like De’Von Achane, Jaylen Wright, Ollie Gordon II, Donovan Edwards, and Anthony Hankerson. So the team was not lacking players in that position.

Still, Le’Veon Moss could have brought something different to the team. He was known as a strong and physical runner who ran straight through defenders and fought for extra yards. That style could have helped the team. But now he has also joined the list of players announcing retirement this season.

Le’Veon Moss is not the only one who made a retirement announcement

Just a few days after joining the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent, former Tennessee and Florida State wide receiver Squirrel White suddenly decided to retire from football. White had joined the team after the 2026 NFL Draft and hoped to impress coaches during rookie minicamp so he could earn a spot on the roster.

But things changed very quickly once practice started. During a stretching session at the Bears’ rookie minicamp at Halas Hall, trainers walked White off the field, and he did not return to practice. Two days later, the Bears officially placed him on the reserve/retired list, confirming that he had stepped away from football only days after beginning his NFL career.

Even though White retired, the Bears still keep his NFL rights because of the reserve/retired designation. That means if he ever decides to return and play football again later in the 2026 season, Chicago would still control his contract.

White has not publicly shared the exact reason behind his sudden retirement, but injuries likely played a big part in the decision. During his final season at Florida State, he struggled with knee and wrist injuries that affected his performance throughout the year.

After joining the Chicago Bears, White quickly experienced how physically demanding these practices can be. Eventually this resulted in taking away away two future stars from the NFL.

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