Former Seahawks Icon Jermaine Kearse Announces Retirement

Though Kearse never played in a Pro Bowl or earned All-Pro accolades, he produced several of the biggest plays in Seahawks franchise history, helping his team capture a Lombardi Trophy and nearly win back-to-back Super Bowls.

Following eight NFL seasons, veteran receiver and Pacific Northwest icon Jermaine Kearse has officially hung up his cleats.

Making a post on his Instagram account, the 30-year old Kearse announced his retirement from professional football, ending a memorable career featuring several of the biggest plays in Seahawks history.

Arriving as an undrafted signing out of Washington in 2012, Kearse primarily played special teams as a rookie for Seattle before bursting on the scene as one of Russell Wilson's most reliable targets the following season. He finished with 22 receptions for 346 yards and four touchdowns during the regular season, but as he did throughout his career, he saved his best performances for the playoffs.

Trailing the 49ers 17-13 in the 2013 NFC Championship game, after calling a timeout, the Seahawks opted to go for it on 4th and 7 from the opposing 35-yard line. On a free play with a San Francisco defender jumping offsides, Wilson lofted a bomb down the numbers to Kearse, who reeled in the pass amid heavy traffic in the end zone to give Seattle its first lead of the game.

Two weeks later during a 43-8 throttling of the Broncos at MetLife Stadium in Super Bowl XLVIII, Kearse caught four passes for 65 yards and scored a 23-yard touchdown. Already ahead by 29 points late in the third quarter, Wilson connected with him on a slant route and he spun out of multiple tackles before sprinting to the end zone.

Aiming to win back-to-back Super Bowls, Kearse again played a starring role in Seattle's improbable return to the big game. Overcoming a pair of drops that led to interceptions earlier in the contest, he reeled in the game-winning touchdown from Wilson in overtime to help the Seahawks cap off a stunning 16-point comeback against the Packers in the 2014 NFC Championship.

In Glendale for a battle against New England a few weeks later with the Lombardi Trophy on the line, Kearse made one of the most spectacular catches in Super Bowl history to position Seattle for a repeat. Wilson threw up a jump ball down the right sideline and cornerback Malcolm Butler tipped it, only for the ball to ricochet off Kearse's leg and into his hands for a 33-yard reception to the Patriots five-yard line.

While another improbable play - this time going Butler's way - prevented the Seahawks from securing the win seconds later, Kearse came through in the clutch time and time again, proving himself to be an integral part of the most successful run in team history.

In five seasons with the Seahawks, Kearse amassed 153 receptions for 2,109 yards and 11 touchdowns in 69 games played. In 12 career playoff games, he recorded 31 receptions for 493 yards and scored six touchdowns, cementing his legacy as a franchise legend in the process.