Barberton native, Detroit Lions DE John Cominsky announces NFL retirement

Yahoo

19-04-2025

Barberton native and Detroit Lions defensive lineman John Cominsky, a five-year NFL veteran, announced his retirement from the league Monday afternoon.
Cominsky made the announcement in an Instagram post.
'After 6 years in the NFL, I am officially medically retiring. I am proud of the career I had, but have accumulated a combination of injuries that are overwhelming my desire to continue playing,' he wrote in part. 'Thank you to the Atlanta Falcons for believing in me and drafting an under the radar DII prospect. Thank you to the Detroit Lions for grabbing me off waivers and giving me a second contract and allowing me to show what I can do as an NFL starter. Thank you to the front offices and coaches that helped build me up and believed in me. Who would have thought a small town Barberton, Ohio QB would find his way to sacking NFL QBs.'
John Cominsky, a former Barberton standout who played in the NFL for Atlanta Falcons and Detroit, jokes with kids during his youth football camp at Rudy Sharkey Stadium.
The Falcons drafted Cominsky in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL draft out of Division II Charleston (W.Va.). He spent three seasons in Atlanta before being released prior to the 2022 season at his request.
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From there, Cominsky made an impact with the Lions before he signed a two-year contract extension in 2023 with Detroit worth $9.5 million with $4 million guaranteed. However, he suffered a torn medial collateral ligament in 2024 and did not play. He cited medical reasons for his retirement from the NFL.
Giving back to Barberton is important to John Cominsky
It was extremely important to Cominsky that he didn't forget his roots. He's made an effort over the years to give back to the community, returning to Barberton for youth football camps.
The youth is the focus of The Cominsky Family Foundation, and Cominsky stays involved as much as possible with the Barberton High School football team, for whom he played quarterback.
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'I've always kind of rooted for the underdog myself, and that's how I consider myself, playing Division II ball, not many scholarships out of high school and going the long, hard way,' Cominsky told the Beacon Journal at his 2023 camp. 'So, to inspire kids, that's a lot of what drives me. Obviously, I do it for my family and my faith, but these kids, they come out here, and they're inspired, they're excited and they believe that maybe it's a possibility for them, too, or just [an example of how they can] achieve their dreams."
He finished his career with 107 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks and a fumble recovery.
George M. Thomas covers a myriad of things including sports and pop culture, but mostly sports, he thinks, for the Beacon Journal.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Barberton native John Cominsky retires from Detroit Lions, NFL