The Chargers
wrapped up a productive season with an 11-6 record and a playoff berth. Now, they have already begun reshaping the roster. One of the anchors of their offensive line, a former Ravens
center, has stepped away from the game entirely.
"After 8 seasons in the NFL, I'm ready for my next chapter," center Bradley Bozeman
announced on Instagram on February 23. "This game has given me so much — lessons, lifelong friendships, and memories my family will carry forever. I've poured everything I had into this journey, and I walk away grateful and proud."
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Bozeman entered the league in 2018 as the 215th overall selection by Baltimore
. He was seen as a developmental depth piece rather than a projected starter. Eight years later, he exits with 110 starts across 129 career games. He has suited up for three franchises and never once surrendered a full-time starting role once he claimed one.
The former Chargers
Center spent his first four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens,
arriving as a reserve offensive lineman before earning the left guard spot full-time by 2019. He started every game across both the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Then he made the natural transition to Center in 2021.
When Baltimore moved on after the 2021 season, Carolina
came calling. Bozeman signed a one-year deal with the Panthers
in 2022. He performed well enough to earn a three-year, $18 million extension in 2023. But then was released when the Panthers' front office restructured the roster in 2024.
The Chargers picked him up almost immediately. They signed Bozeman in 2024, started all 17 games that season, and the organization liked what it saw enough to hand him a two-year, $6.5 million extension last year.
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Sixteen starts in his final season
, with a concussion ending his regular-season in Week 18, though he returned to start the wild-card loss to New England.
He walked away on his own terms, a rare exit in this league. He also acknowledged the three people who made every sacrifice worth it: his family.
"Thank you to every teammate, coach, and fan I was blessed to cross paths with along the way. Thank you to my amazing family who supported me every step of this journey, to my three amazing kids — Brody, Bailey, and Boone — who made every sacrifice worth it, and especially to my unbelievable wife, my ride or die from the very beginning. I couldn't have done any of this without you!"
Bozeman proposed to his wife, Nikki Hegstetter,on the field after the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship. Nikki is a former Alabama basketball player. So, the couple figured out the next eight years together.
That said, Bozeman now enters the next chapter of his life. And as he announced his retirement, his teammates and players in the league chimed in to congratulate the former Center.
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Sam Darnold
, DeShon Elliott
& the locker room say goodbye to Bradley Bozeman
When Bozeman's retirement post went live on Instagram, the responses came quickly, and they came from people who had shared a locker room with him, a huddle, or a sideline.
"Honor to play with you, bro! Congrats on a hell of a career," Christian McCaffrey
,who was a part of the same locker room with Bozeman in 2022 at Carolina.
Then came the Super Bowl champ Sam Darnold.He crossed paths with Bozeman in Carolina. Where Darnold started six games that season for the Panthers. But for Bozeman, he kept his message short.
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"Legend❤️" Darnold commented.
Another player who spent the early part of last season with the Chargers before a midseason trade sent him to Baltimore in October also showed up in the comments.
"Love ya Boze! Congrats, man!!!" Alohi Gilman
wrote.
DeShon Elliott,who had crossed paths with Bozeman in Baltimore, also made sure to send his former peer off properly.
"Congrats on a great career, BB !!! Done been through it all," Elliott's comment read.
Current Chargers wide receiver Derius Davis
kept it short, but his message conveyed what kind of teammate Bozeman was inside that building.
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"Congrats Fam 🙏" Davis wrote.
Bozeman himself, in the same Instagram post that set off the wave of tributes, referenced something he had heard somewhere along the way that stuck with him.
"Someone once told me, 'Every career — no matter how decorated — ends in a trash bag.' The game moves on. Someone fills your spot."
But the now-retired center believes he had a successful career because he got the chance to go out there and showcase his talent. With that, Bozeman signed off on his own terms.
"I'm just thankful God gave me the chance to take the ride. On to the next chapter of life at the farm! Roll Tide, -BSB" Bradley Bozeman concluded.
