By Jordan Long
Tight end Delanie Walker, who hasn’t played a single NFL down since 2019, has decided to retire. This ends a career of 14 years. It was time for him to finally say goodbye to the NFL.
Walker was originally drafted in the 6th round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. A 6th round pick is such a low pick. They normally don’t earn a spot on the football team. Sometimes they are placed on the practice squad to learn the NFL game. Walker though wasn’t. He made an impact during training camp and preseason games which earned him a spot on the 49ers roster. He dressed in 7 games catching 2 passes for 4 yards.
His top year for the 49ers was in 2012 when he totaled 21 catches for 344 yards and 3 touchdowns. Walker’s average yards per catch that season was 16.4 yards. Once the season was over in 2012, the 49ers decided to let him test free agency.
On March 12th, 2013, Walker agreed to a deal with the Tennessee Titans. It was 4 years, worth $17.5 million. Of that $17.5 million, $8.6 million was guaranteed.
Walker became one of the best pass catching tight ends in the league when he was with the Titans. He was a mismatch for defenses because of his size at 6 foot 2 inches. Teams tried to cover him with a linebacker but they weren’t fast enough to keep up with him. Cornerbacks and safeties might cover Walker. That was a mistake, too, since he could outjump them for receptions.
Walker’s best year for the Titans occurred in 2015. That season he had 1,088 receiving yards which was a career high. He also totaled 6 touchdowns.
In 2018 and 2019, Walker combined to appear in a total of 8 games. He missed 15 games in 2018 after breaking his ankle in week 1 against the Miami Dolphins. The Titans lost the game 27-20 and finished that year at 9-7.
2019, was another disappointing season. Walker played in 7 games and caught 21 passes for 215 yards and 2 touchdowns. Walker was then released by the Titans, hoping to be picked up by another team. It never happened.
Walker saw the writing on the wall. He knew his time was up in the NFL. According to ESPN.com, Walker said, “Playing this game, I did it for so long, I am so thankful. I would say it worked out better than I could have imagined.”
Walker finishes his career with 5,888 receiving yards and 36 touchdowns. He was voted into 3 Pro Bowls but never won a Super Bowl ring for his hard work in the NFL. Walker appeared in 6 postseason games in his career. The furthest his team made it was in 2017 when the Titans were knocked off in the Divisional Round by the New England Patriots, 35-14. Either way, he lived his dream of playing in the NFL.
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