Jason Hanson has announced that he will not be returning for his 22nd season in the NFL.

The Detroit Lions kicker was the oldest player in the league during the 2012 season, having been drafted in 1992.

The 42-year-old told the team's website: "It was time to make a decision. It was the right time to step away.

"Ultimately, it's my heel, the problem I developed last year. Now that we're starting a new year, it's still an issue. I have the desire. I have the determination, as I said earlier, to come back.

"Each time I'd start to push it, I'd kind of short-circuit. I realised that at this point of my career, I don't want to perform in a compromised way. It's not good for the team. I lost a little of my desire to play injured."

Hanson successfully kicked almost 90% of his field goal attempts last season.