Vokolek forced out of NFL by neck injury sustained in Cardinals game
Arizona Cardinals tight end Travis Vokolek has retired from professional football at age 28 after sustaining a serious neck injury during the 2025 NFL season. Vokolek announced the decision on social media, stating that neurologists and other physicians had advised him to step away from the game permanently.
The injury occurred during a regular-season game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Oct. 12, 2025. Vokolek sustained the injury while blocking on a kickoff, landing awkwardly after contact with a Colts player. He was removed from the field on a stretcher. In his social media statement, Vokolek described the months that followed as a period of extensive medical consultation. "After numerous visits with doctors and neurologists over the past couple of months, I have been advised to medically retire from the NFL due to a serious neck injury that I suffered this past season," he wrote. He credited the Cardinals' training staff for their care and acknowledged his wife's support throughout his recovery, adding: "I can say that I truly left everything out on the field." bookmaker beach soccer
Vokolek's path to the NFL was an unconventional one. He played college football at Rutgers before transferring to Nebraska, then entered the league as an undrafted free agent, initially signing with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023. He did not appear in a game for Baltimore. He joined the Cardinals in December 2023 and went on to play eight games for the franchise, though he was not featured prominently in Arizona's offensive scheme. His NFL tenure spanned three seasons.
The retirement removes Vokolek from Arizona's roster and leaves a vacancy at the tight end position. No statement from the Cardinals organization regarding next steps at the position had been issued at the time of publication.
