Severe Injury Leads To Early Retirement For Zach Orr

Ravens Inside linebacker Zach Orr lead the team in tackles with 130 landing himself a second all-pro accolade. After extension talks seemed to be progressing, Orr decided to hang up the cleats. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has confirmed that Orr will retire due to an injury.

#Ravens star LB Zach Orr is retiring because of a serious injury, sources say. Heart-breaking. Team couldn’t talk him out of it.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 20, 2017

That injury turned out to be spinal cord related neck injury. Orr missed week 17 finale due to a neck issue. congenital neck condition affects less than one percent of people which is crushing news for the Ravens. The Ravens did not try to talk him out of his decision to retire as Orr insisted that he plans on coaching.

Orr was scheduled to hit restricted free agency this offseason. The former undrafted North Texas product likely would have been in for a big pay raise. Orr, 24, leaves a big hole in the Ravens defense where the team doesn’t really have an answer for yet next to C.J. Mosely.