Cincinnati has always been a city that roots for its own. From the Big Red Machine’s glory days to Ken Griffey Jr.’s swing, Queen City legends aren’t just athletes—they’re family. So when a hometown kid laces up for the Bengals, it’s more than football. It’s Sunday dinners, Friday night lights, and the kind of pride that sticks like Skyline Chili cheese. For seven seasons, Sam Hubbard wore that orange and black like a second skin. But this week, whispers turned to headlines, and the jungle drums fell silent.

Hubbard’s story felt ripped from a Midwestern daydream: the hometown kid drafted by his childhood team, clawing through playoff droughts like cornstalks in August. He wasn’t just a defensive end. He was a bridge between the “Bungles” era and the Burrow-led renaissance.

Think Johnny Bench’s reliability meets Pete Rose’s grit—but with fewer batting helmets thrown. For seven seasons, Hubbard anchored a defense that went from punchline to powerhouse. Then, on Wednesday, the engine finally cut off…

Sam Hubbard announced his retirement via social media, closing a seven-year chapter with the Bengals. “In my heart, I know that I gave this game, this team, and this city everything that I had,” he wrote. The move saves Cincinnati $9.5 million in cap space—a cold reality for a warm story. Hubbard’s farewell post dripped with hometown pride.

“Breaking the 31-year playoff win drought… a trip to the Super Bowl… I woke up every day determined to give the fans something they could be proud of, cheer, and unite behind,” he wrote. Meanwhile, the Bengals’ tribute video, soundtracked by wistful guitar riffs, highlighted his 98-yard fumble return TD against Baltimore in the 2022 playoffs—a play now etched into Ohio lore.

“The Cincinnati Kid!” broadcaster Mike Tirico roared as Hubbard flexed in the end zone. That moment alone earned him free Skyline Chili for life. Hubbard’s stats read like a blue-collar résumé: 398 tackles, 38.5 sacks, and a knack for clutch plays. His 2019 season (8.5 sacks, 76 tackles) showcased his peak, but his legacy was cemented in the trenches.

Teammates called him a “warrior” for playing through a mangled ankle in 2023 and a hamstring injury in 2024. “I wouldn’t leave my guys hanging,” he once said—a mantra that defined his career. However, injuries ultimately wrote the final act.

Hubbard: from Moeller to immortality

A torn PCL on December 15, 2024, during a trick-play TD catch against Tennessee, became his last NFL snap. Fittingly, he celebrated with teammates before limping off. “You can’t catch me!” he’d screamed after that iconic fumble return. Time, alas, catches everyone.

Hubbard’s impact stretched beyond the field. His foundation fed families, funded schools, and earned two Walter Payton Man of the Year nominations. “Community and love outweigh any trophy,” he said. Bengals president Mike Brown called him “Cincinnati’s Own,” a title heavier than any Pro Bowl nod. Meanwhile, the Bengals face a new reality.

With Hubbard gone, Trey Hendrickson’s contract talks loom, and free agency beckons. But for fans, Wednesday wasn’t about cap space—it was about saying goodbye to a kid who never stopped hustling for home.

Sam Hubbard’s career was a love letter to Cincinnati. He arrived as a third-round pick and left as a folk hero—a Rust Belt Rocky in shoulder pads. As philosopher George Santayana once said, “A man’s feet should be planted in his country, but his eyes should survey the world.” Hubbard’s eyes are now set on family, philanthropy, and the quiet pride of a life well played.

Who Dey Nation will miss his sacks, but his legacy? That’s staying put. After all, how do you say goodbye to someone who never really left?