Veteran NFL running back Giovani Bernard has announced his retirement following a 10-year career. A 2013 second-round pick out of North Carolina, Bernard spent his first eight seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals and his final two years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
A versatile player, Bernard finishes his career with 3,783 yards and 22 touchdowns on 937 carries. He caught an additional 367 passes for 2,989 yards and 14 touchdowns. Bernard had 56 total touches in six career playoff games.
"We are forever grateful and feel truly blessed that this was part of our journey," Bernard wrote via social media. "As I look forward, I'm excited for the newness ahead. New challenges to face and new adventures to take. What a ride it's been, but what a ride is to come."
Bernard played in 135 regular-season games, with 115 of those games taking place in Cincinnati. While he was never a featured back, Bernard was a solid complementary player throughout his time with the Bengals. He had over 2,000 all-purpose yards and 15 total touchdowns during his first two seasons while helping Cincinnati capture playoff berths both years. In 2015, Bernard rushed for a career-high 730 yards while helping Cincinnati tie a franchise record for wins in a regular season (12).
Bernard continued to contribute to the Bengals' offense during the second half of his career in Cincinnati. He scored six touchdowns in 2019, his final season with the Bengals. Bernard played in 20 games for the Buccaneers while helping Tampa win back-to-back division titles.
