Former No. 1 NFL Draft pick Jake Long retires

Former No. 1 pick Jake Long announced his NFL retirement on Monday after nine injury-plagued seasons.

The left tackle, the first overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins, played only four games with the Minnesota Vikings in 2016 before he suffered a torn Achilles on Nov. 13 to end his season.

"As I continue with my recent rehab," Long wrote in his statement posted on Twitter, "I realize that although my heart and mind still want to play, my body is telling me something completely different."

The Vikings signed Long last October after they had lost tackles Matt Kalil and Andre Smith to season-ending injuries.

Long, who turns 32 next month, was named to the Pro Bowl in each of his first four seasons (2008-11) in the league before multiple injuries piled up. He last played more than 10 games in a season in 2013, when he started 15 games for the then-St. Louis Rams.

Long played in just 15 games for the Rams, Atlanta Falcons and Vikings over the past three seasons.

Long thanked all of the teams he played for in his career but particularly the Dolphins.

"Most of all, I want to thank the Miami Dolphins, Mr. (Stephen) Ross, Tony Sparano and Bill Parcells, thank you," Long wrote on Twitter. "You believed in me and gave me my first opportunity to live my dream of playing in the NFL. I will always be a proud and lifelong Miami Dolphin!"