Former Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Ryan Switzer has announced that he is ending his career after five years in the league.

The 27-year-old cited a recent injury as the reason why he can’t perform at his usual level. Switzer also added that he plans to stay in soccer as a coach in the future.

After a successful career at the University of North Carolina as a punt returner, Switzer was selected by Dallas in the fourth round of the 2017 draft. He returned 29 punts for 256 yards with a touchdown in his debut season. He also gained 600 yards on kickoff returns.

After his debut season, Switzer was traded to the Raiders in April 2018 and a couple more months later to Pittsburgh, where he spent the next two years. The 2018 season was the best of his career for the player. In terms of punt returns and kickoffs, Switzer scored about the same, but managed to prove himself in the passing game as well. That year, he caught 36 of 44 passes for 253 yards with a touchdown.

The last years of his career were plagued by injuries to Sweitzer.

He missed most of the 2019 season because of a back injury, and in September 2020, he was drafted by Pittsburgh. He joined the Browns practice squad in October, but he showed little or no promise during his two years in Cleveland. He was placed on injured reserve last August and missed the entire 2021 season.