Ricardo Lockette to announce his retirement, per report

The Seahawks told media today that they'll hold a press conference for Ricardo Lockette Thursday at 1 pm PT. It's being reported, as expected, that Lockette will announce his retirement.

Bitter, sweet #Rockette @ Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport https://t.co/eFz6gaA8f7

— Ricardo Lockette (@RicardoLockette) May 11, 2016

Rockette calling it quits on the 12th, for the 12's. #Respect.

— Jared Stanger (@JaredStanger) May 11, 2016

Thanks @RicardoLockette. pic.twitter.com/lpj6NdeFCF

— hawkschronicle (@HawksChronicle) May 11, 2016

Lockette suffered a terrifying injury on November 1st against the Cowboys. He took a hit to the head in special teams coverage and fell to the ground, laying motionless for several minutes as medical teams worked to stabilize him. He finally flashed the L for "Love Our Brothers" as shown in the picture above as he was being carted off the field.

Pete Carroll said later that week that Lockette's playing career was likely over, which was, and is obviously terrible news, but I don't know if anyone realized just bad it could have been if the medical team and his teammates hadn't done such a great job of stabilizing him on the field. Lockette visited a Seattle-area firehouse in March and commended the first responders.

"I didn't really realize how serious it was until it was over," Lockette said. "Because the doctor told me, pretty much, that my skull was ... well, all the ligaments that connect my vertebrae and the cartilage were gone. So, the cartilage is out and the ligaments torn. He said that if I would have stood up then the weight of my head -- left, right, front, back -- I would have died. If one of my teammates came over and pulled my arm, just barely, I might have died. Or if the returner had the time to break a couple of tackles and fell on me, I would have died on that field. What saved my life is the trainers and the work that you guys do."

Absolutely scary stuff, and it really puts into perspective the risk these players take with every snap.

Lockette will retire at 29 with 22 receptions and four touchdowns, with an impressive 17.4 yards per catch average. He made some huge plays for the Seahawks over the years, was a force on special teams, and is one of the most beloved guys in the locker room. Here's to hoping The Rocket tries to get into coaching or something that keeps him in the VMAC going forward.