(DETROIT) – Romeo Okwara delivered some breaking news on Tuesday night. The veteran Detroit Lions defensive end used his Instagram account to announce that he's retiring from the NFL after eight seasons. Okwara wrote that after some introspection and meditation, he has decided to step away from the NFL. The 28 year old Okwara appeared in 16 games for the Lions this past season, registering nine tackles, five QB hits and a pair of sacks as a reliable part of the rotation. He was set to become a free agent. In 2016, he entered the league as an undrafted rookie free agent after being signed by the New York Giants, where he spent his first two seasons before being claimed off waivers by the Lions in 2018. He led the Lions in sacks in 2018, with 7.5, which were the most in a player's first season in team history after being claimed off waivers. He started in 32 games of his 92-game career, where he finished with 158 total tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 25 sacks and 58 quarterback hits.