Imagine a Wisconsin kid trading welding gear for shoulder pads, grinding from Division III obscurity to NFL stardom. Ryan Ramczyk’s career wasn’t scripted like Remember the Titans—it was grittier, quieter, and uniquely his own. Think Brett Favre’s ironman streak meets Rudy’s underdog heart, minus the Hollywood fanfare. Now, as the NFL Draft looms, New Orleans faces a bittersweet pivot.

Saying goodbye to a linchpin while leaning on his legacy to shape their future. On Thursday night, Ramczyk, the Saints’ ironclad right tackle, dropped a retirement bombshell via Instagram. At 30, chronic knee issues forced him to hang up his cleats, ending a seven-year run that included three All-Pro nods and 101 starts. “I’m excited for what the future holds, especially the opportunity to spend more time with my two boys and watch them grow. I’m looking forward to this next chapter in life and am forever grateful. Who Dat for life ⚜️,” he wrote. But here’s the thing.

Hours before his emotional post, the NFL revealed he’ll announce New Orleans’ Day 2 draft picks in Green Bay on April 25. It’s a poetic full-circle moment—Ramczyk, drafted 32nd overall in 2017, now ushering in the next generation. Ramczyk’s path was anything but linear. After high school, he enrolled in technical college, aiming to become a welder. Football?

An afterthought. But a stint at UW-Stevens Point reignited his passion, leading to a Division I leap at Wisconsin. The Saints snagged him with a pick acquired in the Brandin Cooks trade, a move that paid dividends. By 2019, he was the NFL’s premier run blocker, earning First-Team All-Pro honors. “Sometimes the road less traveled leads to places you never expected, but it ends up being exactly where you were meant to be,” Ramczyk wrote, echoing Robert Frost with a gridiron twist. Besides, durability defined Ramczyk early.

He missed just one game from 2017–2020, anchoring Drew Brees’ final playoff pushes. But a cartilage defect in his knee, first flaring in 2021, chipped away at his resilience. By 2023, the pain was unmanageable. “At some point, I just couldn’t play anymore,” he admitted after the 2023 season. His final snap? A Week 14 win over Carolina, a quiet exit for a player who once dominated like a combine harvester plowing through Midwest fields. But New Orleans saw this coming.

In January, Ramczyk restructured his contract, slashing his salary to the league minimum—a move mirroring Drew Brees’ 2021 retirement playbook. The Saints will absorb $11M in dead money post–June 1, but gain $1.25M in cap relief. It’s a fiscal Band-Aid for a roster now scrambling to replace two retired All-Pro tackles (Terron Armstead bowed out earlier this month).

Ramczyk’s legacy: blue-collar brilliance

Ramczyk’s Green Bay appearance isn’t just ceremonial. It’s a nod to his football IQ and the respect he commands. As he steps to the podium, Saints fans will remember the mauler who protected Brees and paved lanes for Alvin Kamara. His picks—Nos. 40, 71, and 93—could shape New Orleans’ post-Brees identity.

By the Numbers

• 101 starts: T-60th in Saints history.
• 3x All-Pro: Joins William Roaf as the only Saints tackles to achieve this.
• 2017 draft class: Produced four Pro Bowlers (Ramczyk, Kamara, Marshon Lattimore, Trey Hendrickson).

Ryan Ramczyk’s retirement leaves a gaping hole. Rookie Trevor Penning has struggled, and 2024 first-rounder Taliese Fuaga remains unproven. “Who Dat” faithful will hope this draft yields another diamond in the rough—a kid with Ramczyk’s grit and glue-guy mentality. Besides, Ryan Ramczyk’s story wasn’t about Lombardi Trophies or ESPN highlights.

It was about showing up, grinding, and outworking doubters. As he shifts focus to fatherhood and life beyond football, his Instagram caption lingers: “Who Dat for life ⚜️.” In a league obsessed with rings, Ramczyk’s legacy is simpler—a welder who forged himself into an NFL cornerstone. As the Bard wrote, “We know what we are, but know not what we may be” (Hamlet). For Ramczyk, retirement isn’t an end—it’s a fresh down. But for Saints fans, the question remains: Can this draft replenish what his exit took away?