In the NFL, all it takes is for one team to believe in a player. For one situation to highlight what they do well and thrust them into a career that most did not think that they were capable of. For Denico Autry, that team was the Oakland Raiders.
Back in 2014, the Raiders gave Autry a shot as an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi State, and the rest is history, as they say. He carved out a 12-year NFL career, but now, ahead of the 2026 NFL season, Autry has decided to hang up his cleats, according to reporter Aaron Wilson.
Raider Nation will certainly remember No. 96 for his contributions on the field in Oakland for four campaigns in the mid-2010s, but more than that, for his improbable yet impressive path in professional football.
Former Oakland Raiders UDFA Denico Autry retires after 12-year NFL career
After a great prep career at Albemarle High School in Albemarle, North Carolina, Autry took his talents to East Mississippi CC, where he played for head coach Buddy Stephens, who was made famous from Netflix's Last Chance U. There, he played with other NFL players like Za'Darius Smith.
Autry earned a scholarship to Mississippi State, where he spent the next two seasons. But 26 appearances, including 23 starts, with 73 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 6.0 sacks and three forced fumbles in two years wasn't enough for an NFL combine invite. Autry went undrafted in 2014.
Fortunately, the Silver and Black scooped him up, as GM Reggie McKenzie saw something in him. Following an impressive preseason, Autry hung around on the Raiders' practice squad after not making the initial 53-man roster, and he made his NFL debut in Week 8 of his rookie season.
He never spent a day on the practice squad again.
As a rookie, Autry primarily played on special teams, but managed 13 tackles, including three for a loss and a quarterback hit. Then, he exploded onto the scene as a sophomore in 2015 and strung together three very good campaigns for the Raiders before leaving the franchise.
From 2015 to 2017, Autry played in 46 of a possible 48 games, starting 18 of them, and tallied 87 tackles, including 21 for a loss, 10.5 sacks, 20 quarterback hits and a safety. He also recovered two fumbles and, as fans will remember, batted down an insane 12 passes.
Although Jon Gruden chose not to keep him around in 2018, Autry made quite a living for himself in the AFC South over the next eight seasons. He signed a three-year, $17.8 million deal with the Indianapolis Colts after leaving Oakland and starred even more.
During those three seasons with the Colts, Autry recorded 102 tackles, including 26 for a loss, 20.0 sacks, 32 quarterback hits, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and five batted passes. He started in 38 of his 40 appearances across three campaigns in Indianapolis.
Life went on for Autry after the 2020 NFL season, inking a three-year, $21.5 million deal with the Tennessee Titans. There, he exploded even more, totaling 108 tackles, including 30 for a loss, 28.5 sacks, 54 quarterback hits, four forced fumbles and 14 batted passes in 46 appearances (33 starts).
His final two seasons with the Houston Texans were a bit rocky, as he was suspended for the first six games of the 2024 NFL season and began the 2025 NFL season on the PUP list. In 22 games, Autry had 21 tackles, six for a loss, 6.5 sacks, 20 quarterback hits, a forced fumble and four batted passes.
All told, Autry finished his career with 164 games played and 91 starts across 12 seasons with four different franchises. He recorded 331 tackles, including 86 for a loss, 65.5 sacks, 117 QB hits, a safety, eight forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and a whopping 35 batted passes.
If we're being honest, Autry was one of the best interior pass-rushers of the last decade and was a versatile piece on many great NFL defensive lines. He played longer than players like Aaron Donald, Zack Martin, and Derek Carr, who all came out of college the same year.
According to Pro Football Reference, he is tied for the 20th-highest approximate career value of any player drafted in 2014, and the fourth-highest among defensive linemen. Not bad for a guy who didn't get a combine invite, wasn't drafted, and didn't make the initial 53 as a rookie.
Enjoy retirement, 96!
Add us as a preferred source on Google