Theo Riddick retires after 7 seasons in the NFL
Former Detroit Lions running back Theo Riddick announced his retirement from the NFL on Friday. Riddick spent last season on the Las Vegas Raiders practice squad before being activated for four games. The Raiders signed Riddick to a one-year deal worth $1.2 million in March.
During the four games that Theo Riddick appeared in, he rushed for 14 yards on six attempts. He added five catches for 43 yards for the Raiders offense. Before joining the Raiders, Riddick played six seasons with the Detroit Lions. The former Lions running back started 19 games and appeared in 84.
For unknown reasons, Theo Riddick retired from the NFL after seven seasons on Friday. The reasoning behind Theo Riddick's retirement hasn't been reported. Riddick started the Raiders training camp on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Theo Riddick's seven-year NFL career
The Detroit Lions drafted Theo Riddick with the 199th overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft. During his rookie season, Riddick rushed for 25 yards and a touchdown on nine carries. He also caught four passes for 26 yards.
The former Notre Dame running back impacted the Lions' passing game during his second season. Theo caught 34 passes for 316 receiving yards and four touchdowns in 2014. Riddick still struggled to get things going on the ground, rushing for 51 yards on 20 carries.
The Detroit Lions used Theo Riddick based on his strengths. Riddick was more of a threat catching the football rather than running. The veteran running back failed to rush for over 400 yards in a single season. His best year on the ground was during the 2016 season when he rushed for 357 yards and a touchdown on 92 carries.
Riddick's best year catching the ball was during the 2015 season, when he caught 80 passes for 697 yards and three touchdowns.
Theo Riddick ends his career in the NFL with 1,037 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 294 carries. He added 290 receptions for 2,281 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Many NFL fans praised Theo Riddick on social media after the running back announced his retirement. NFL fans stated that Theo Riddick was an underrated running back who never got a chance to succeed. Riddick made a living from doing the dirty work out of the backfield for the Detroit Lions.
The stats may not be massive, but that doesn't take away from Theo Riddick's success on the football field.