Back in March Washington confirmed that Cyler Miles had taken what was described as a “voluntary leave of absence, with a subsequent report stating that the starting quarterback would not play for the Huskies at all in 2015.
As it turns out, Miles won’t -- or for any other team, for that matter.
In a press release, UW announced that Miles has been forced to retire from the sport of football because of a chronic hip condition. The release stated that "[m]edical personnel have advised Miles that it would be against his best interest to continue to play on the injury, which has persisted throughout his career.”
According to the school, Miles will remain enrolled at UW on scholarship. That scholarship will not count against the 85-man limit.
“I am pleased that Cyler will remain committed to the pursuit of his UW degree, even though his injuries will keep him from competing on the football field,” head coach Chris Petersen said in a statement. “We will continue to support him and wish him the best in this next phase of his life.”
After missing the 2014 opener because of a suspension related to an offseason incident, Miles started 12 of the next 13 games for the Huskies. He played in a total of 20 games during his Huskies career.
“I am grateful to Coach Petersen and his staff for all the opportunities I have been given here at Washington,” Miles said. “I am disappointed that my hip injuries will not allow me to continue playing, but I am committed to earning my UW degree and will leave the program with many great friendships and valuable lessons learned.”
With Miles out of the picture, it leaves the Huskies UW with three options at the quarterback position: Jake Browning, K.J. Carta-Samuels and Jeff Lindquist. Lindquist, a redshirt junior, started the 2014 opener in place of Miles, while Carta-Samuels, a four-star 2014 recruit who took a redshirt as a true freshman, and Browning, a four-star member of this year’s class who is an early enrollee, have never thrown a pass at the collegiate level.