PITTSBURGH – After four years with the Steelers, tight end Vance McDonald announced his retirement from the NFL through the team on Friday morning.
In his last season with the Steelers, McDonald’s had 15 receptions in 99 yards. He lost two games after testing positive for COVID-19 and spent quarantined time on his farm outside Pittsburgh.
McDonald was also nominated for the Steelers in 2020 for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award for his work with Convoy of Hope, an organization that, among other things, provided goods and PPE to families in western Pennsylvania during the coronavirus pandemic.
“My family and I are very grateful for all that NFL football has given us in our lives – all the good and difficult memories, the relationships and friends we’ve made along the way, the life lessons that the game has given me and my loved ones, “McDonald said in a statement. “It has always been our dream and mission to leverage the platform we have been given through the NFL to help serve and uplift others along the way, and we will continue to find ways to serve others as we begin this next chapter in our lives. I am proud to retire a Steeler. “
McDonald’s retirement saved $ 5.2 million for the Steelers in 2021. With Eric Ebron under contract, McDonald’s option would probably not be accepted by the Steelers, who also have Zach Gentry, who ended the season as a reserve, under contract and signed two other tight tips for reserve / futures contracts.
McDonald, 30, was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft and joined the Steelers through an exchange in 2017.
Known for his rigid arm of Chris Conte in a 75-yard touchdown in 2018, McDonald retires with 181 receptions for 2,036 yards and 15 touchdowns in 101 games in an eight-year career. With the Steelers, he had 117 receptions for 1,170 yards and eight touchdowns.
“I appreciate Vance’s contributions during the last four years of his career in Pittsburgh,” said coach Mike Tomlin in a statement. “He was a class actor on and off the field, leading many of our efforts in the community, while he was a voice for our social justice efforts and community work during the pandemic. Retirement and his continued work to be a pillar in the community. “