Super Bowl-winning safety plans to retire after 2024 season

Rodney McLeod is intending for the 2024 campaign to be his final NFL season. The veteran Browns safety told NFL Network that he’ll be hanging up his cleats following the upcoming season.

“This is the last lap for me. It’s been a long career,” McLeod said, via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com. “I’m looking forward to rocking out with my teammates this year, giving it all, and hopefully ending up where we want to be, which is the last dance at the end of the year.”

McLeod wants to go out on a high note following a 2023 campaign during which he was limited to 10 games thanks to a biceps injury. The 12-year veteran acknowledged that he considered retirement following this past season, but the player pointed to “unfinished business” as a reason for a 13th year.

The veteran joined the Browns last offseason and served as a backup to Grant Delpit and Juan Thornhill. He finished the season with only 29 tackles, and while he didn’t earn enough snaps to qualify for Pro Football Focus’ positional rankings, his grade would have placed him toward the bottom of the safeties list.

However, McLeod is only a year removed from ranking seventh among 88 qualifying safeties on that same list, so there could still be something left in the tank. The Browns will return the same safeties grouping in 2024, but this time, McLeod will have to compete with his 2023 fill-in, D’Anthony Bell.

This season, McLeod will be looking to complete a resume that already includes a Super Bowl championship and 718 career tackles. The former UDFA has also spent time with the Rams, Eagles, Colts throughout his career.