The once prodigal son came home. Ryan Kerrigan signed a one-day contract with Washington, to announce his retirement from professional football. Despite spending last season with the division rival Philadelphia Eagles, Kerrigan wanted to close out his career with the team that originally drafted him in the 2011 NFL Draft.
Washington took the “Heartbreak Kid” with the 16th overall pick out of Purdue. He made an impact from the very start. There was something tangibly different about him. A quiet confidence. A non-stop motor.
He would start every single game in his first eight seasons, and he would play for Washington for ten years. He was named to four Pro Bowls, and finished behind only Dexter Manley in career sacks (95.5). He registered a sack total in double digits four different times.