Ahkello Witherspoon has stunned the Washington Commanders by retiring from the NFL at the age of 31.
Witherspoon signed a one-year, $1.41 million contract with the Commanders in May but has decided he will not play out the season. He practiced on Monday and then informed the team Tuesday morning that he was walking away from football.
The Commanders announced that Witherspoon has been placed on the Reserve/Retired list. They moved quickly to sign cornerback Fabian Moreau as a replacement.
Witherspoon was selected in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers and quickly became integral to their defense. He started 33 of 47 games with the 49ers, recording 117 tackles and four interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown, along with 24 defended passes.
Path through Seattle, Pittsburgh and Los Angeles
After four years in the Bay Area, Witherspoon signed with the Seattle Seahawks but was traded away without ever playing a game for them, joining the Pittsburgh Steelers instead. He played in 13 games across two seasons for the Steelers, starting seven, and recorded 35 tackles and four interceptions.
Witherspoon then joined the Los Angeles Rams for three seasons, signing one-year deals with coach Sean McVay's team each offseason. His most impressive season in Los Angeles came in 2023, when he started all 17 games and recorded 52 tackles and three interceptions.
