The 2018 NFL Draft marked the first under new Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach. Former second-round pick defensive lineman Breeland Speaks is officially calling it a career at 30 years old.
The former Ole Miss standout recently announced his retirement on Instagram, reflecting on his football journey.
“We’re here to wrap up this career and call it a day, man. It’s been a long road, but we made it. Started playing football at Callaway High School in Jackson, Mississippi.” Speaks said, “Went on to play at Ole Miss, got drafted in the second round by the Kansas City Chiefs, won the Super Bowl with them in 2020 (Super Bowl LIV), and then went on to play for the Raiders and Cowboys later that same year.”
During his rookie season in Kansas City, Speaks played in all 16 games as a rookie with four starts, recording 24 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He was part of the Super Bowl LIV-winning roster but was unavailable due to injury and off-the-field issues. He had brief NFL stints with the Las Vegas Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Speaks made a name for himself in the UFL with the Michigan Panthers, playing multiple years with the spring football team. In college, Speaks played three seasons from 2015 to 2017, tallying 121 total tackles, 15 tackles for loss, nine sacks, three pass breakups, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries in 32 games.
