The Cincinnati Kid is hanging up his cleats. Bengals Defensive End Sam Hubbard announced his retirement from the NFL in a statement on his social media accounts Wednesday.  “I want to send a sincere thank you to my teammates, coaches, trainers, support staff, Bengals ownership, and the NFL for everything you all have done for me. I could not have done any of this alone. To the fans — Who Dey Nation — I thank you the most; you inspired me. From the years of struggle and adversity to Super Bowl LVI, you never stopped believing. I hope I made you proud.” Hubbard spent seven seasons with the Bengals. The Cincinnati native played his high school ball for the Moeller Crusaders, and played his college years for the Ohio State Buckeyes. “Sam always has been and always will be a wonderful part of the Bengals organization and the entire Cincinnati community,” said Bengals president Mike Brown. “Growing up here, he was a top youth athlete on local gridirons and lacrosse fields before becoming a standout football player at Ohio State. We were fortunate to draft him in 2018, and we immediately knew that we added an outstanding player and an even better person to our team. Sam epitomizes what you want in a player — he’s a great teammate, a talented athlete and a passionate community member. He helped us win a lot of football games, and he had a number of very memorable plays over the years. His 98-yard fumble recovery return in the Wild Card win over Baltimore is one of the most iconic touchdowns in team history. It has been my honor to watch him play his entire NFL career for his hometown team. We thank him for the memories he created as ‘Cincinnati’s Own.’” Hubbard says he plans to pursue business opportunities, as well as continue work with the Sam Hubbard Foundation.