The Seattle Seahawks are facing a significant shift in their offensive line as starting center Connor Williams has decided to retire from the NFL at the age of 27. The announcement came on Friday from head coach Mike Macdonald, following Williams’ absence from practice throughout the week due to what was initially described as personal reasons. This absence has now been confirmed as the result of his decision to retire.
Williams, who had been a starter in all nine games for the Seahawks this season, had just finished his first year with the team after signing a one-year, $6 million contract in August. The Seahawks were coming off their Week 10 bye, which appeared to be a time of reflection for Williams as he chose to step away from the game.
This retirement marks the end of a challenging journey for Williams, who was recovering from a season-ending ACL injury sustained in Week 14 of the 2023 season while with the Miami Dolphins. This was the second time Williams had torn his ACL during his career.
Williams began his NFL journey as a second-round draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys in 2018, where he played for four seasons. He later signed a two-year, $14 million contract with the Dolphins in 2022 before moving to Seattle. Over his career, Williams started 86 of the 92 regular season games he played.
With Williams’ sudden departure, the Seahawks will turn to Olu Oluwatimi as the new starting center for Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers. Oluwatimi, a fifth-round pick in 2023 out of Michigan, has one start under his belt from Week 7 of the 2023 season.
