Lineman Steve Hutchinson to retire after 12 NFL seasons

After 12 seasons, Tennessee Titans offensive lineman Steve Hutchinson is calling it a career.

Hutchinson, who shone during a lengthy career with the Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks, will retire on Tuesday, Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reported. Glazer reported that Hutchinson decided to retire after determining that his knee was not progressing from offseason surgery as much as he had hoped.

Quickly into his career, Hutchinson built a reputation as one of the best interior linemen in the NFL. Hutchinson earned a trip to seven Pro Bowls and was selected to five All-Pro first teams. He started all 169 games in which he played during his career.

In the 2006 offseason, Hutchinson signed an unprecedented seven-year, $49 million contract with the Vikings. Not only was it the richest contract ever given to a guard — but it also contained a provision that guaranteed Hutchinson's entire contract if he was not the highest-paid lineman on his team.