The Atlanta Falcons come into next season well set at receiver. Drake London is emerging into one of the NFL’s top targets and Darnell Mooney and Ray-Ray McCloud enjoyed breakout seasons as part of a bullish Falcons offense.
But while the Falcons are set at the top of the depth chart, there’s been a scramble on the lower half. Players are fighting for jobs this time of year and sometimes it doesn’t work out. In the case of one former Falcons receiver, his dreams of securing a spot in Atlanta didn’t work out and he’s retiring before he ever plays in an NFL game.
Former Falcons WR Brayden Lenius Announces Retirement Before CFL Training Camp
According to 3 Down Nations’ John Hodge, former Falcons receiver Brayden Lenius has decided to retire shortly before he was set to enter training camp with the Canadian Football League’s B.C. Lions. Lenius signed with the Falcons in January 2022 but he didn’t make it to training camp as he was waived that July.
While he never got his shot in the NFL, he got a big opportunity in Canada. He was selected by the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the second round of the 2019 CFL Draft and made 58 catches for 659 yards and five touchdowns over his first four seasons. The 2023 season represented a turning point in his career, however, as he suffered a Lisfranc injury and a lacerated spleen that limited him to one game.
Lenius was unable to participate in training camp and was released by the Roughriders before last season. While he signed with the B.C. Lions last winter, Hodge reports that his foot hasn’t healed enough to have full confidence in a return, which has made him decide to retire.
The 28-year-old is like several players this time of year who get the golden opportunity to play in the NFL but didn’t make the cut. Lenius enjoyed a successful career in his home country, however, which should take some of the sting out of missing on that chance.