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On Sunday afternoon, it was reported that former Chargers linebacker Jatavis Brown had announced his decision to retire from the NFL following a four-year career with the Chargers.
#Eagles LB Jatavis Brown has retired. A free-agent this off-season from the #Chargers, he was placed on the Reserve/Retired list.
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) August 9, 2020
Brown was drafted in the fifth-round of the 2016 draft out of the University of Akron. He was a very productive player in college, accumulating 116 tackles, 19.5 tackles-for-loss, and 11.5 sacks as a senior. He was a splash play waiting-to-happen and that was a big reason the Bolts were excited to snag him with a day-three pick.
As a rookie, Brown displayed the big-play potential as a rotational off-ball linebacker. He finished with 79 tackles and 3.5 sacks, including a huge forced fumble that spurred the Chargers to victory against the Broncos on Thursday Night Football.
His best season came in 2018 when he recorded a career-high 96 tackles to finish among the top-3 tacklers on the team.
Brown was set to play for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020 but it looks like a combination of the pandemic plus his nagging injury woes may have finally forced his hand.
Cheers to Brown on a solid career with the Chargers and we wish him nothing but success and happiness in the future.