Jake Locker’s retirement announcement on Tuesday shocked almost everyone. The now-26-year-old quarterback was selected by the Tennessee Titans as the No. 8 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft after playing collegiately at the University of Washington. He would play in just 30 games over four seasons with the Titans, only twice throwing for more than 1,000 yards and once for more than 2,000 yards. As was the case while with the Huskies, Locker showcased unique skills but was wildly inconsistent with decision-making and never became a reliable signal-caller.
His retirement is surprising considering his age and many are now wondering if the phenomenal athlete might go back to baseball. After already committing to play football in college, he was selected by the Angels in the 40th Round of the 2006 MLB First-Year Player Draft. Despite not playing the game for three seasons, he was selected again by the Angels in 2009 but significantly higher this time around: 10th Round.
#LAAngels still hold rights to just-retired QB Jake locker but don’t plan to pursue him.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) March 11, 2015
It was definitely an aggressive selection considering his NFL potential, but they would own his rights for six years. Just months before that six year window expires this summer, will he consider a return to the diamond?
Although the idea might seem unlikely, seeing as he has not played competitive baseball since high school, we’ve seen numerous athletes attempt, some more successful than others, the same thing, but usually in reverse order. It’s certainly worth keeping an eye on in the coming weeks.
Photo Courtesy: Seattle Times
