Isaac Rochell Announces Retirement from NFL After 7 Seasons

Isaac Rochell is closing the chapter on his NFL career.

“After 19 years, it’s time to hang up the cleats. Football has shaped my life in ways I could never have imagined, and I’ll forever be indebted to the game and the NFL,” Rochell, 29, wrote via Instagram on Sunday, February 2. “A degree from Notre Dame, lifelong friendships, a platform to share my voice, and countless memories — these are just a few of the gifts football has given me.”

Alongside the message, Rochell shared a series of photos from games through the years, including a pic of him and his wife, Allison Kuch, posing on the field.

“I started playing in 6th grade, and I still remember crying before every practice—crazy how things change. My journey ended with moments I’ll never forget, surrounded by teammates who became family,” he wrote. “I was a 7th-round pick who defied the odds, grinding my way through 7 seasons in the NFL with nothing but hard work and persistence. While I’ll always love the game, it’s time to step into a new chapter—one where I take everything I’ve learned and apply it to what comes next.”

He concluded his caption, “I can’t wait to see where this next phase leads. Let’s get to work.”

Rochell was drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers in 2017 and has since played defensive end on the Indianapolis Colts, Cleveland Browns and Las Vegas Raiders. He was released by the Raiders in November 2023.

Rochell opened up about his decision to retire from the sport in the Sunday episode of his and Kuch’s “Sunday Sports Club” podcast.

“I was pretty much done around Thanksgiving. That’s when I was like, ‘Alright, that’s all she wrote. Still would’ve went somewhere,” Rochell said, to which Koch said, “I think you would have went somewhere the entire, like, regular season. I think if you got a call for practice squad I think you would just would have been like let me just go, like, ‘This is my last time, I know it’s my last time so let me just go.’”

Rochell, who welcomed daughter Scottie Bee with Kuch in December 2023, said he’s now focusing on “the next thing,” noting that he has meetings regarding broadcasting that he hopes “go well.”

“It’s just time,” he said. “I’m ready to deep dive into the next phase of my life and, like, I don’t know, I don’t want to waste more time.”

While reflecting on his career in the NFL, Rochell said he felt “super confident” with how it played out.

“I maximized every single bit of it. There’s not a piece in my career that I look back and I’m like, ‘Dang I could have done a little bit more there,’” he said. “I feel really good about it. I left it all on the field as they say and I had a really fun career.”