After 11 seasons in the NFL, Michael Bennett is hanging up his cleats.

The Texas native made his decision publicly known by posting the following message on his Instagram account:

“Retiring feels a little like death of self, but I’m looking forward to the rebirth – the opportunity to reimagine my purpose.
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“I would like to thank my wife and children, who have sacrificed so much for me to succeed. I’m looking forward to supporting them the same way they have me these past 11 years. I have never been more at peace in my life.

“As the great Toni Morrison said: ‘Freeing yourself was one thing, claiming ownership of that freed self was another.'”

During his long NFL career, which spanned five NFL clubs, Bennett registered 359 tackles, 69.5 sacks, and 132 tackles for loss.

Bennett played in College State from 2005-2008, where he racked up 112 tackles, 6.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss.