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Panthers offensive lineman Jonathan Martin, of bullying scandal fame, retiring

Panthers offensive lineman Jonathan Martin, of bullying scandal fame, retiring

The alleged victim in the bizarre Miami Dolphins hazing scandal from a few years ago has decided to retire. But it has nothing to do with that.

Jonathan Martin, who was claimed by the Carolina Panthers this offseason after a one-year stint with the San Francisco 49ers, is walking away from football according to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport.

Back injuries are no laughing matter, so Martin's decision is understandable. He never found his form in the league as the 42nd overall pick (second round) by the Dolphins in 2012. Martin, 25, started 16 games as a rookie and seven more in 2013 for the Dolphins before finding himself embroiled in a scandal that centered around former teammate Richie Incognito.

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An NFL investigation was launched into what became a national story that far surpassed football and the subject of bullying when it was found that Incognito and other teammates (perhaps egged on by then-OL coach Jim Turner) harassed Martin and ostracized him from the locker room.

Independent investigator Ted Wells (he of the Tom Brady/deflate-gate fame now) wrote a 144-page report that, in hindsight, may have unintentionally hurt Martin's reputation in league circles — fairly or not — as it did that of Incognito, who is projected to be a starting guard for the Buffalo Bills this season after sitting out the past season after being suspended by the Dolphins.

Martin was traded to the 49ers prior to last season, where he played for his former coach at Stanford, Jim Harbaugh, as a low-risk investment. But Martin struggled last season as a replacement starter (nine games) and was waived this offseason.

Although he was expected to compete for a job with the depth-riddled Panthers, Martin opted to step aside amid serious injury concerns. But even with the injury, scouts who spoke to Martin before the 2012 draft did openly wonder how much he truly loved the game. The answer to that question might be: not enough to risk potentially serious long-term effects.

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!