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After four years in an Atlanta Falcons uniform, left guard Andy Levitre will retire from the NFL, per Andy Levitre. When the offensive line was still unfinished, there was some speculation that the team might bring Levitre back in 2019. After adding James Carpenter, Jamon Brown, Adam Gettis, and first round pick Chris Lindstrom to the mix at guard, however, it became quite clear that the Falcons would be moving on.
Now Levitre’s moving into the next chapter of his life after a very good career.
It all started as a big kid growing up in the mountains of Santa Cruz. I had a fire in my belly and a burning desire to be the best football player I could be. I was never the the most talented athlete on the… https://t.co/L838z6LskT
— Andy Levitre (@LevitreAndy) May 14, 2019
Levitre began his career in Buffalo as a second-round selection out of Oregon State — the first guard taken in the 2009 NFL Draft. Considered the top free agent at his position, after four solid years in a Bills uniform Andy Levitre parlayed his sturdy play into a six-year, $46.8 million deal with the Tennessee Titans.
That stop would only last two years, however, as Ken Whisenhunt’s 2014 arrival as head coach brought a shift away from a smaller, more mobile offensive line in favor of bigger bodies.
And thus started the Atlanta Falcons chapter of Andy Levitre’s career. Shortly before the first game of the 2015 season, the Titans traded Levitre to the Falcons for a sixth-round pick. He immediately assumed the starting role at left guard vacated by the release of Justin Blalock, and proved a reliable veteran asset in Kyle Shanahan’s newly installed zone-blocking scheme. He would start each and every game in his first two years in Atlanta — and then the injuries began to pile up.
Prior to arriving in Atlanta, Andy Levitre had never missed a game in his career. That run remained intact until 2017, when he missed three games due to a triceps injury and ultimately landed on IR prior to the playoffs.
A similar injury derailed his season last year, with Levitre only starting two games before heading to injured reserve. It was assumed that his game against the Carolina Panthers would prove to be his final in Atlanta — with the announcement of his retirement, it would be his last in the NFL.
When healthy, Andy Levitre proved a key part of the Falcons’ offensive line. Injuries told the tale over his past two seasons, but he was steady in both pass protection and run blocking, allowing Atlanta’s offense to thrive. We wish him the best in his retirement.