Former North Dakota State star Kyle Emanuel, who retired from the NFL after the 2018 season at age 27, wants to return to the playing field.

"I can confirm I will be looking into some free agent options and trying to play again," Emanuel told The Forum on Thursday.

The story was first reported via Twitter by Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. He tweeted Thursday morning that Emanuel, a defensive end who played for the San Diego and Los Angeles Chargers for four seasons, "has decided he wants to play again .... He can sign immediately and should have significant interest."

Emanuel played for the Bison from 2011-2014 and was taken in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Chargers.

He retired after his initial contract ended, citing mounting injuries and the desire to live a healthy life as his motivation for retiring.

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Emanuel, who won the Buck Buchanan Award as the best defensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision in 2014, spent last season working with Valley News Live in their Bison coverage.

He had conversations with several teams before retiring, but decided to end his career.