Arizona Cardinals veteran tight end Jake Ballard has announced his retirement from the NFL.

Ballard has called time after four seasons in the league, with the player never having fully recovered from a torn ACL while playing for the New York Giants in 2012.

"Yesterday I made the difficult decision to retire from the game of football," Ballard said in a statement, according to Pro Football Talk.

"I love this game and have put my heart and soul into it for as long as I can remember. After sustaining a serious knee injury while playing for the New York Giants in the Super Bowl, my body never felt the same.

"Having a quality of life after football is very important to me and I have witnessed it taken away from others. I will miss the game tremendously, but I am ready for this next chapter in my life."

Ballard made just three starts for the Cardinals last season, having appeared in eight games across the 2013-2014 campaign.