After five Pro Bowls, one season of leading the NFL sacks and 12 years of professional football, Elvis Dumervil has called it a career.

The veteran pass rusher announced via Twitter on Thursday that he's retiring from the game at age 34.

"After spending a great deal of time talking to my family and prayerfully considering what's next in my career," Dumervil wrote, "I have made the difficult decision to step away from the NFL at this time. It's been an incredible 12-year run."

The longtime defensive end and outside linebacker had been a free agent since March, when the San Francisco 49ers declined an option in his contract. He spent just one season in San Fran, leading the Niners with 6.5 sacks, but was one of the NFL's most feared pass rushers at the peak of his career. A five-time all-star who began as a fourth-round draft pick of the Denver Broncos, he had three double-digit sack seasons with the team, leading the NFL with 17 in 2009, before joining the Baltimore Ravens in 2013. He matched his 2009 sack total once more in Baltimore, and he retires ranked 26th in league history in career sacks.

Dumervil said in his retirement statement that he believes he could continue playing but also has other plans on the horizon.

"My body still feels great, and I know I can still help a team win," he said. "I will miss being on the field, particularly on Sundays. But I also have a wife and two young children who need me and a real estate business that I can now turn my attention to full-time."