Former Bengals running back Giovani Bernard announces retirement from NFL
After a 10-year playing career in the NFL, former Cincinnati Bengals running back Giovani Bernard is retiring. Bernard announced his decision over Twitter early Friday afternoon. Bernard was a second-round pick by the Bengals back in 2013, the first running back taken in that year's NFL Draft. The former North Carolina dual-threat back was added […]
After a 10-year playing career in the NFL, former Cincinnati Bengals running back Giovani Bernard is retiring. Bernard announced his decision over Twitter early Friday afternoon.
Bernard was a second-round pick by the Bengals back in 2013, the first running back taken in that year's NFL Draft. The former North Carolina dual-threat back was added to provide burst and receiving ability at the position for Cincinnati, and he did exactly that.
In eight years for the Bengals, Bernard ran for 3,697 yards and 22 touchdowns in 115 games played. He also hauled in 2,867 yards and 11 touchdowns as a receiver on 342 receptions with the team. His rookie year was arguably his best as he racked up a career-high 1,209 scrimmage yards and eight total touchdowns for the AFC North champions.
Bernard played alongside past starters BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Jeremy Hill for the duration of his rookie contract before signing an extension in the 2016 offseason. Bernard outlasted both Green-Ellis and Hill, and soon became the veteran complement to Joe Mixon starting in 2018.
While his usage would decrease as the years progressed, Bernard's impact was always valuable. He could evade tackles with ease, generate explosive plays in the passing game, and even pass protect wonderfully despite being just 5-8 and a little over 200 pounds. Despite his size, Bernard was one of the better ballcarriers in Bengals history.
Bernard's time in Cincinnati came to an end following the 2020 season as he refused a pay cut to stay with the team going forward. He would then join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 2021 season and went on to win the Super Bowl that year. Bernard would only play in 20 games during his two seasons for Tampa Bay.
A class act through and through, "Gio" was one of the most exciting and underrated Bengals players in recent memory. May he enjoy his life after football.
