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PJ Walker joins a growing list of players walking away from football.
Before Thursday’s announcement, the former quarterback, who spent time with several NFL teams and also had a stint in the now-defunct XFL, was set to suit up for the Calgary Stampeders for the upcoming 2026 season.
Walker is retiring after nine professional seasons, the team confirmed. “The Stampeders have been informed that quarterback PJ Walker has decided to retire from football after nine years as a professional,” the Stampeders wrote on X.
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Seattle Seahawks quarterback PJ Walker shouts before the snap during an NFL preseason game against the Cleveland Browns at Lumen Field in Seattle on August 24, 2024. (Rio Giancarlo/Getty Images)
Walker saw limited action last season with the Stampeders, primarily as a backup. He started one game in 2025 and finished the season with 395 passing yards and two touchdowns against four interceptions.
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Before turning pro, Walker starred at Temple, setting several passing records. He also led the Owls to multiple bowl appearances, becoming the first quarterback in program history to do so. Walker went undrafted in 2017, but eventually signed as a free agent with the Indianapolis Colts.
Walker did not appear in the regular season during his three-year stint with the Colts, during which he was released multiple times, signed and re-signed to the practice squad and signed multiple reserve/future contracts.
Walker did not see his first NFL regular season action until 2020, making four appearances with the Carolina Panthers.
PJ Walker of the Carolina Panthers looks to make a tackle against the Atlanta Falcons in the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia on October 30, 2022. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
He played in six games in 2022 in his third — and ultimately final — season in Carolina, highlighted by a dramatic late game against the Atlanta Falcons that featured a 67-yard touchdown pass.
The play was nullified by a penalty for a Panthers player removing his helmet, but the throw still traveled farther in the air than any completed pass since 2016, according to Next Gen Stats. Carolina ultimately lost the game 37-34 in overtime.
Cleveland Browns quarterback PJ Walker warms up before a game against the San Francisco 49ers at Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio on October 15, 2023. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)
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In addition to his time with the Colts and Panthers, Walker made two starts for the Cleveland Browns in 2023. He also signed with the Chicago Bears that year and played in the preseason with the Seattle Seahawks in 2024.
Walker had arguably his best season in 2020 with the XFL’s Houston Roughnecks.
