Seahawks center Connor Williams is retiring, as announced by head coach Mike Macdonald in a press conference Friday, per Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times.
Williams tore his ACL last December, tanking his free agency stock with his availability to start the 2024 season in question. He managed to pass a physical and sign with the Seahawks eight months later and started all nine of the team’s games at center this season.
Macdonald cited “personal reasons” as the explanation for Williams’ retirement and said that his knee injury in 2023 was not a factor in the decision, according to Condotta. The first-year head coach doesn’t believe that Williams will change his mind and return to the Seahawks this year.
Williams finishes his career with 86 starts and 92 total appearances across a seven-year career. He began as a second-round pick by the Cowboys in 2018 and quickly earned the starting left guard job in Dallas.
He hit free agency in 2022 and signed with the Dolphins on a two-year deal worth just over $14MM. He started all 17 games at center for Miami in 2022, but struggled with multiple injuries in 2023 before ultimately tearing his ACL in December. Williams’ return to the field this year was viewed as impressive given the extent of his knee injury, but he opted to retire rather than finish the season. He ends his career with $22.3MM in career earnings, per OverTheCap.
Seattle will turn to Olu Oluwatimi at center moving forward. The 2023 fifth-rounder started one game with 128 total snaps at center as a rookie. Oluwatimi’s insertion into the starting unit is yet another shake-up for a Seahawks offensive line that recently lost George Fant to injured reserve for the second time this year. Abraham Lucas is set for his season debut, per Condotta, though Macdonald said the third-year right tackle would be on a snap count.
Retiring 48 hours before kickoff is on the Mt. Rushmore of “running from the grind”
I think you are supposed to retire at halftime – Vonte style.
I thought you were supposed to retire at bedtime. Guess I’m glad the Bears DIDN’T sign him after all.
He has been out of the facility all week so it’s not like they weren’t prepared. He’s been pretty bad as well which may be due to him not being fully there physically/mentally.
It’s not like you want someone who’s lost the will blocking for your quarterback.
Bears have too many already.
Playing for the Bears will do that to you.
When you know it’s time to go, it’s time to go.
That’s…very sudden. Williams actually hasn’t been that bad individually, but the Seahawks’ guards have been just awful all year long. Cross hasn’t been bad, but the interior of the line only figures to get worse after this news. Williams hasn’t lived up to his Miami days preceding this (low cost) deal, but I don’t know what Seattle does to right now to improve the very much below par interior of their line.
The offense could be pretty good, otherwise. That’s what stinks for Seattle fans. It’s hard to expect Geno or the backs to produce when the guards are overwhelmed every other play. Granted, Williams’ strength was moving in zone run blocking, but I don’t know how you just replace that midseason.
“Williams hasn’t been that bad individually”- His snapping the ball 30 yards over the head of the QB at least three times that I can remember, and at least twice inside the ten-yard line that took points off of the board in consecutive weeks was terrible.
Fair, and Williams had that issue in Miami, too. His run blocking between those plays was far better than Seattle’s other interior players. The backup also has yet to show quality play in the NFL yet, so I don’t expect this to bode well for the Seahawks’ interior run game. Smith has already been beat up all year-this isn’t great news for an already difficult area for them.
This is weird – There’s obviously more to this story than we know – Maybe he knows the ship is sinking and it was time to jump ship! No one is coming to save that offensive line……