And that’s the end of Joe Tryon-Shoyinka’s NFL journey…

Ari Meirove, who covers the NFL for The33rdTeam.com, announced Tryon-Shoyinka’s retirement on X. He was drafted during the height of Tom Brady’s brief Buccaneers era.

“#Eagles DE Joe Tryon-Shoyinka is retiring from the NFL. The former #Bucs first-round pick is stepping away from football at age 27.” Meirov posted.

Jason Licht and the Buccaneers selected the linebacker with the 32nd overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, just two and a half months after Tom Brady led the team to victory in Super Bowl LV during his first season in Tampa Bay. The former Washington Huskies standout was viewed as a key piece of the franchise’s long-term defensive plans, joining an already stacked unit that included stalwarts such as Shaquil Barrett, Lavonte David, Vita Vea, and Devin White.

It seemed like an appropriate move, given that the Buccaneers were firmly in win-now mode as Brady entered the 2021 season at age 44. As a result, it’s not a stretch to assume the team hoped Tryon-Shoyinka would help put the team over the top.

For the next four seasons in Tampa Bay, he appeared in 62 games and made 45 starts, recording 15 sacks and 131 total tackles. While he did show that he was a starting-calibre player, he never truly lived up to the draft expectations the Bucs had of him. Naturally, the Bucs declined his fifth-year option on his rookie contract and let him walk after the conclusion of the 2024 season.

The 27-year-old’s NFL career never really took off after that. He signed with the Cleveland Browns on a one-year, $4.75 million contract, but he was unable to earn substantial playing time with the team. He was then traded mid-season to the Chicago Bears and spent the rest of the 2025 season with them. After Chicago let him walk, Tryon-Shoyinka signed with the Eagles this past March. Then, on Tuesday, Philadelphia placed him on the reserve/retired list. And we saw what followed after that.

Interestingly, he was also a no-show for the Eagles’ minicamp, which was his fourth NFL franchise overall miss and his third in nine months. The absence gained significant attention because he was the only veteran on the roster who did not attend and was reportedly subject to fines of up to $53,959 for missing the two days of workouts. What’s more, neither the team nor the player offered any explanation for his absence.

At the time, the situation also raised eyebrows because he was expected to compete for a roster spot in August, making his absence all the more surprising.

For Tryon-Shoyinka, however, football is only one part of his remarkable life story, as there is much more to him than what he accomplished on the field.

Mother’s sacrifices and uncle’s loss shaped Joe Tryon-Shoyinka

In a profile by Jenna Laine of ESPN following his draft selection, Tryon-Shoyinka spoke about how his life was turned upside down when his uncle, Erik Tryon, died in a fatal dirt bike accident. Having grown up in a single-parent household with his mother as his primary caregiver, Tryon-Shoyinka viewed his uncle as both a father figure and a role model. According to him, the loss was the defining moment of his life up to that point and ultimately strengthened the bond within his family.

In another feature by Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, he credited his mother for being the glue to their family.

“She made it look easy, but I know it was anything but easy,” Tryon-Shoyinka said. “I never missed any meals, anything like that. She made sure all the essentials were there. She took me to practice, or made sure my grandma or uncle got me to practice, or picked me up from school. We had a tight-knit family.”

After reaching the NFL, Tryon-Shoyinka stepped up and helped pay for his sister Julia’s medical school education, who was inspired to pursue a career in medicine following her uncle’s tragic passing.

Beyond that, he became involved in philanthropy by partnering with One More Child, an organization that provides services to vulnerable children and struggling families. He also helped donate a car to a single mother in the Tampa Bay area who had not owned a vehicle since her previous one was destroyed during Hurricane Katrina.

“She was very thankful, and I had no words,” Tryon-Shoyinka said to Stroud. “It was really emotional for me.”

As part of One More Child, he also got to spend time with the kids who were going through the same challenges he went through growing up.

“I see a lot of myself in many of the kids there,” Tryon-Shoyinka said. “I try my best just to be that person I needed as a kid.”

While his NFL career might have come to an earlier-than-expected ending, Tryon-Shoyinka leaves the game with a lasting legacy that will go on far outside of the gridiron.