Connor Williams Retires from NFL at Age 27; Started Every Game for Seahawks in 2024

Seattle Seahawks starting center Connor Williams retired on Friday, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Williams signed a one-year contract with the Seahawks in March and appeared in all nine games with the team to begin the 2024 season. He previously spent two years with the Miami Dolphins after he was a member of the Dallas Cowboys for the first four seasons of his career.

The 27-year-old will be replaced by 2023 fifth-round pick Olu Oluwatimi in Seattle's starting offense, per Rapoport.

Williams spent the 2023 season with the Miami Dolphins, suiting up in nine games before he suffered a torn ACL in Week 9.

Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald confirmed on Friday that the center's retirement was due to "personal reasons" and his knee injury wasn't a factor in the final decision, via Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic.

Williams was originally selected by the Cowboys with a second-round pick in the 2018 NFL draft. He spent most of his time at tackle during his college days at Texas, earning All-American honors in 2016 before transitioning to guard once he was drafted by Dallas.

He started in 86 of the 92 games played throughout his NFL career. He improved with each year before his 2023 campaign was cut short, earning an impressive 86.5 grade from Pro Football Focus last season. He received an overall grade above 70 in each year from 2020 through 2023.

Williams wasn't able to maintain his productivity in his first year with Seattle, earning a 63.9 PFF grade and committing eight penalties in 618 snaps played.

After falling to the Los Angeles Rams in overtime during a Week 9 matchup, the Seahawks will attempt to close out the regular season with an adjusted interior offensive line.