Breaking: Carl Edwards to Retire Immediately, Per Report

Carl Edwards may have done his final backflip in NASCAR (Google Images)

FoxSports.com broke the story late Tuesday morning, January 10, that Carl Edwards would be leaving Joe Gibbs Racing. The move is effective immediately and would end a successful 13-year career if "Cousin Carl" is indeed retiring for good.

The news came as a shock to NASCAR fans. Edwards is only 37 years old, he's won 28 times in 445 starts in what is now the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, and he came within just a few laps of winning the season finale at Homestead last year and securing his first cup title.

JGR announced that they will hold two press conferences tomorrow morning, January 11, starting at 10:00 am ET. During that time, they are expected to announce Edwards' departure, as well as name 2016 Xfinity Series champion Daniel Suarez as his successor.

Edwards is one of the most outgoing, fan-friendly, energetic drivers in the garage and his victory backflips after each of his win have made him a perennial favorite among fans. He is also one of the most private about his personal life. He lives with his wife and two children in his native Missouri rather than in the Charlotte/Mooresville area with the majority of the drivers, and he is the only active driver without a Twitter handle.

Edwards rose to prominence in NASCAR's premier series when he replaced Jeff Burton in Roush Fenway Racing's No. 99 Ford. He drove for Roush through the 2015 season, moving to JGR the following year.

This past season, Edwards won three races, his most recent being a rain shortened event at Texas Motor Speedway that ended under the lights and solidified him as a championship contender.