Over the next several weeks, hundreds of players will be fighting to secure a spot on a team’s 53-man roster or practice squad. For the ones who make the 53-man roster, it's the start of what will be a fruitful football journey.
However, others will hang up the cleats and turn the page on their football journey, trying their hand at something else, whether in football or elsewhere.
Earlier this offseason, we saw former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Chris Conley retire after 10 seasons in the NFL to pursue a dream in filmmaking. And then on Saturday, another Chiefs wide receiver, Richie James, decided to hang up his cleats after five years.
Another veteran wide receiver, who briefly played with the Chiefs during the 2021 season, is joining Conley and James in retirement.
Former Chiefs WR Daurice Fountain Announces His Retirement At Age 29
On Saturday, forgotten Kansas City receiver Daurice Fountain took to social media to announce his retirement from the game of football.
Fountain said in a note posted on Twitter, “Dear Football, it breaks my heart to say this, but I believe our time has come to an end. After over 20 years of sacrifice, sweat, blood, and tears … I’m finally laying to rest the game that once gave me so much joy.”
✌🏾🏈❤️🩹 pic.twitter.com/ANyZiU7iRo
— Daurice Fountain (@Reece_JMM) July 19, 2025
The ex-Chiefs wide receiver discussed how football changed his life and the lessons it taught him. He also thanked everyone along the way, his coaches, teammates, and family, for going on this journey.
Fountain, who spent the first two years of his career with the Indianapolis Colts after they took him in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft, joined the Chiefs in 2021. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound wide receiver appeared in two games during the ‘21 campaign, but didn’t have a single catch or reception.
The former fifth-round pick was signed to a futures deal following the 2021 season, but was cut at the end of preseason heading into the 2022 season. However, the Chiefs brought him back to the practice squad and signed him to the active roster on Sept 10, 2022.
That was the last time Fountain was seen in a Chiefs uniform, as he was picked by the Chicago Bears and signed to their practice squad. The ex-Kansas City wideout didn’t play in a regular season game with the Bears, who released him in August 2023.
The Detroit Lions signed Fountain to their practice squad immediately after he was cut, and then to another future/reserve deal in January 2024. However, the former Chief didn’t make the final cut last summer.
Even though Fountain didn’t make a noticeable impact in Kansas City, the fact that he was able to make it to the league from an FCS school is no small feat. He was clearly one of the best and got the chance to prove it on the highest stage in football.
Now, he embarks on the next part of his life and journey, which hopefully brings him as much joy as football did.