Former Seattle Seahawks WR Jermaine Kearse announces retirement

Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver and postseason hero Jermaine Kearse announced Tuesday on social media that he is retiring from the NFL.

Kearse, who scored a touchdown in the Seahawks' Super Bowl XLVIII win over the Denver Broncos, wrote on Instagram that it was a "complete honor" to play for Seattle and leaves the game "feeling extremely grateful and content with what I was able to accomplish."

"Seattle, as a hometown kid it was a complete honor to represent you guys out there on the field," Kearse wrote. "Thank you so much for your endless support throughout my football career. It was an honor to put on that Hawks uniform and I'm so grateful I was able to help bring our first Super Bowl home! Something we will never forget.

"I'm looking forward to what God has planned for me in this next chapter of this thing called life, but I can assure you it involves a lot of time with my family and a lot of golf. ... Thank you and I love you all."

During his five-year stint in Seattle, Kearse had a hand in some of the most critical plays in Seahawks postseason history. In addition to his touchdown grab in Super Bowl XLVIII, he caught the go-ahead and game-winning touchdowns in back-to-back NFC Championship games.

Kearse's 35-yard score helped the Seahawks beat the San Francisco 49ers in the 2013 NFC title game. In the next season, he sent the Seahawks back to the Super Bowl with another 35-yard touchdown in overtime to beat the Green Bay Packers.

The Seahawks signed Kearse as an undrafted free agent in 2012. He spent his first five seasons in Seattle before being traded to the New York Jets in 2017. He played two seasons with the Jets and set career highs in receptions (65), receiving yards (810) and targets (103) in the 2017 campaign.

Kearse, 30, signed with the Detroit Lions last season but broke his left leg during a preseason game against the New England Patriots. The Lions placed him on injured reserve, ending his season.

In his career, Kearse notched 255 catches for 3,291 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also had 31 receptions for 493 yards and six touchdowns in the playoffs.