Mizzou football legend and NFL veteran linebacker Markus Golden retires after 9-year career
Former University of Missouri football draft pick Markus Golden announced his retirement from the NFL on Saturday, August 9. Golden, who had just resigned with the Pittsburgh Steelers on a 1-year deal at the beginning of the month, decided to hang his cleats up after a lengthy 9 year career.
After a year at Hutchinson Community College, Golden made his way to Missouri starting his sophomore year. Golden broke out as a junior, leading MU defensive ends with 55 tackles on the year while adding 13 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and 8 passes broken up on the season.
As a senior he continued going strong, recording 21 tackles and 4 sacks in the first three games before a hamstring injury forced Golden to miss one game and left him less than 100%. Despite this setback, he finished the season with 78 tackles and 10 sacks. During his senior year campaign he won the Citrus Bowl MVP and earned an invite to the Senior Bowl. Golden and teammate Shane Ray became the first University of Missouri teammates to both have double digit sacks in the same season.
It was this career and an impressive Senior Bowl performance that propelled Golden to the second round, selected 58th by the Arizona Cardinals to be a top prospect in the 2015 NFL draft. Golden immediately impressed, racking up 82 total tackles and 16.5 sacks in his first two seasons. Disaster struck in year three, tearing his ACL after playing in only four games. He returned to action in week three the next season, as this marked his final year with the Cardinals.
Golden went to the New York Giants and had his best season of his career, racking up 72 total tackles and 10 sacks. After a slow start to the 2020 season, Golden went back to the Arizona Cardinals in the middle of the season and ended up with a total of 33 tackles and 4.5 sacks.
Golden played another two years in Arizona, racking up a total of 96 tackles and 13.5 sacks. Golden made his way to the Pittsburgh Steelers for the 2023 season and played a smaller role as an aging veteran, racking up just 20 total tackles on the season.
Golden is a Missouri local, beginning his football career at Affton High School, he obtained a school-record with 168 tackles and 16 sacks as a junior. He also ran for 1,139 yards and 16 touchdowns as a running back. In his senior season he improved on these rushing stats, rushing for 2,264 yards and 30 touchdowns while also making 108 tackles and 10 sacks.Golden was one of six Missouri players selected in the 2015 NFL draft. With his retirement, only two Tigers from that draft remain in the league: Mitch Morse with Jacksonville and Shane Ray with Tennessee.Currently there are 25 University of Missouri players currently listed as active members of NFL rosters.
Edited by Dylan Heinrich | dheinrich@themaneater.com
Copyedited by Hannah Taylor | htaylor@themaneater.com
Edited by Emily Skidmore | eskidmore@themaneater.com