Former Buffalo Bills safety Aaron Williams announced his retirement from the NFL in an article on the Players' Tribune on Wednesday.

Williams did not play in 2017 following his release from Buffalo due in part to multiple neck injuries.

The 27-year-old veteran spent six seasons with the Bills after they selected him with the No. 34 overall pick in the second round of the 2011 NFL draft out of Texas.

Williams began his retirement letter with an apology to Bills fans. He said he wasted his first two years in Buffalo, but he added that things turned around for him once he embraced the city and put the necessary work in to become a quality NFL player.

He also thanked several former teammates and coaches, with longtime Bills running back Fred Jackson was chief among them, as Williams said Jackson brought him into the community and showed him how to be a pro.

Williams discussed his injury history as well, including getting carted off the field during Week 2 of the 2015 season while tackling New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman.

He said he suffered a severe stinger that resulted in one side of his body going numb for a period of time.

Williams was able to return in 2016, but his last game was a Week 7 clash with the Miami Dolphins. The safety was laid out by a block from Dolphins wideout Jarvis Landry, and although someone called for a cart, Williams insisted on walking off the field under his own power.

That turned out to be Williams' NFL swan song, and while he did label Landry's hit "unnecessary," he also said he doesn't have an issue with the Pro Bowl receiver:

"He didn't have to hit me in the chin like he did. But You know what? I remember when I was a little kid, I used to watch that segment they had on ESPN with all the big hits—Jacked Up! or whatever it was called. You probably remember it. I used to replay those hits on YouTube like crazy. And a lot of those hits were like the one Landry laid on me. So I can't be a hypocrite. I glorified that kind of hit myself growing up. Football's a violent game. S--- happens. I got no ill will towards Landry."

Williams revealed in the letter that he worked out with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs following his release from Buffalo last March.

Although Williams felt he dominated in his workouts—and the Texans even told him to pick out a helmet and locker—no team would sign him due to the injury risk.

Williams made the decision to retire once the calendar hit Jan. 1, 2018.

In six NFL seasons, Williams finished with 256 tackles, 36 passes defended, seven interceptions and one fumble recovery returned for a touchdown.

His best season came in 2013 when he registered 82 tackles and four interceptions, both of which were career highs.

Williams was never named to a Pro Bowl, but he was a solid starter during his tenure in Buffalo, and there is no telling how good he could have been if not for constant battles with injuries.