The Seahawks have lost their starting center to an abrupt retirement midway through the season.
Connor Williams has retired from the NFL at just 27 years old, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald confirmed.
“Connor earlier this week decided to retire,” Macdonald said during media availability on Friday. “Personal reasons. We respect that. Wish him the best. We’ve got to move forward.”
Macdonald was asked if Williams might change his mind, but the coach expected the decision to be final.
“I don’t believe so,” Macdonald said. “We honor his wishes and keep all those reasons and conversations private for obvious reasons. We wish him the best.”
Seahawks observers had recognized that Williams might miss this Sunday’s game against the 49ers after he was out of practice for two days earlier this week with the designation of “personal reasons.”
Nevertheless, the retirement is a relative shocker as he’s started every game and played every offensive snap for Seattle this season.
Williams was a second-round pick for the Cowboys in the 2018 NFL Draft after playing college football at Texas.
He played four seasons at guard for the Cowboys, then two at center for the Dolphins.
Last season he suffered a torn ACL midway through the season, and had been open about the struggles of returning from the injury after signing a one-year deal with the Seahawks worth up to $4 million this past offseason.
“I’m definitely nowhere close to where I want to be,” Williams told the News Tribune last month. “And I’m nowhere close to contributing to this team and to this offense.”
News Tribune Seahawks writer Gregg Bell revealed that it was “easy to see in his face, and hear in his voice” that Williams had been unhappy before the retirement.
The Seahawks are 4-5, but a win over San Francisco would put them right back in the mix in the NFC West as the Cardinals lead the division at 6-4.