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An eight-year NFL veteran who started 16 games last season has surprisingly called time on his career.
Los Angeles Chargers center Bradley Bozeman announced his decision on Instagram on Monday, saying he is “ready for my next chapter.”
“This game has given me so much: lessons, lifelong friendships and memories that my family will cherish forever. I have put everything I had into this journey and I leave grateful and proud.”
Bozeman, 31, shared photos from his time with the Chargers, Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens during his eight years in the league. He saw many different coaches and teammates across three franchises and recognized them all, as well as their fans.
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Bradley Bozeman of the Los Angeles Chargers watches during the national anthem before an NFL wild card playoff game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on January 11, 2026 in Foxborough, Mass. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
“Thank you to all the teammates, coaches and fans I was lucky enough to cross paths with,” he wrote.
Bozeman also showed his love for his family, including his three children: Brody, Bailey and Boone. He also called his wife, Nikki, “amazing,” calling her his “ride or die from the beginning” and adding, “I couldn’t have done any of this without you!”
Bozeman ended his post with a quote he heard during his career.
“‘Every career, no matter how decorated, ends in a trash bag,'” he wrote. “The game goes on. Someone takes your place. I’m grateful that God gave me the opportunity to move on.”
Bradley Bozeman of the Los Angeles Chargers lines up during an NFL Wild Card playoff game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on January 11, 2026 in Foxborough, Mass. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Bozeman said the next chapter will be “life on the farm,” as the Alabama native and former Crimson Tide lineman completed his degree with “Roll Tide.”
Bozeman was selected by the Ravens in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft, where he played in 14 games in Baltimore with one start. Head coach John Harbaugh then gave him the nod as the team’s starting left guard for the next two seasons, starting all 16 games in each, before moving to center in 2021.
With his rookie contract up after that season, Bozeman landed with the Panthers, spending the 2022 and 2023 campaigns with the franchise, where he was the team’s starting center.
Eventually, Bozeman teamed up with his former coach’s brother, Jim Harbaugh, when he signed with the Chargers to revamp his own line. He signed a two-year, $6.5 million contract with the team in 2025, but will not fulfill it until now.
Bradley Bozeman of the Baltimore Ravens watches during warmups before the game against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 12, 2021 in Cleveland. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)
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Instead, the Chargers will have a spot to fill on an offensive line that struggled mightily after losing star tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt to season-ending injuries in 2025.
Tyler Linderbaum, a former Ravens center, will be a hot commodity on the free agent market and could draw interest from Los Angeles now that Bozeman has retired.
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