Redskins LT Samuels to announce retirement

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ASHBURN, Va. -- Washington Redskins six-time Pro Bowl left tackle Chris Samuels will announce his retirement Thursday.

The announcement has been expected. Samuels hasn't played since banging heads with a defensive player Oct. 11 in a game against the Carolina Panthers. The collision left him with a neck injury, and doctors advised him the risk was too great to try to play again.

For many years, Samuels played with a condition called stenosis, a narrowing of the spine. He always wore a large brace behind his neck while on the field.

The No. 3 overall draft pick from Alabama in 2000, the 32-year-old Samuels was a Pro Bowl selection in 2001-02 and 2005-08. He was a starter from the first game of his rookie season and started all 141 games in which he played.