Every player comes to a time when it’s time to hang up the cleats. That day always comes, whether it’s because of age, ability, or injury. Today was the day for former New Orleans Saints linebacker A.J. Klein, who announced his retirement from pro football after 11 seasons. Interestingly enough, the day he decided to retire was his 33rd birthday. Klein made the announcement on his official Instagram account.
Saints fans might remember Klein from the very successful 2017-2019 playoff teams. The Wisconsin native was a key contributor for those teams, starting 42 games across those three seasons. He contributed on the stat sheet in New Orleans with 193 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles.
Klein played for five NFL teams across his 11 seasons, most notably the Carolina Panthers (who drafted him out of Iowa State) and the Buffalo Bills, with whom he appeared often over the last four years. We congratulate Klein on a great career and wish him the best of luck in retirement.
