Former Pro Bowl tight end Delanie Walker officially announced his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday.
Walker, a three-time Pro Bowler who played 14 seasons with the 49ers and Titans, will retire with Tennessee, the team that he last played for in 2019.
“I would say it worked out better than I could have imagined,” Walker told the Titans’ team website on Monday night. “I dreamt about it, and made it come to life because I believed it would. I knew once I had the opportunity, I wasn’t going to let it get away from me. Playing in Tennessee, with the Titans, it was better than I ever dreamed of, and I can’t thank the Titans organization enough for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to do everything I was able to do. It was a dream come true, to be honest with you.”
A sixth-round pick in 2006, Walker began his career in San Francisco, where he racked up 123 catches for 1,465 yards and eight touchdowns across seven seasons. Despite being a reliable contributor for the Niners, the former Central Missouri tight end didn’t fully burst onto the scene until he signed with the Titans in free agency in 2013.
Walker played for seven years in Nashville where he amassed 381 catches for 4,423 yards and 28 touchdowns. He made the Pro Bowl in three consecutive seasons from 2015 to ’17 and finished in the top-ten in Titans franchise history in career receptions, career receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
“When I came into this league, I wasn’t a big name, and I left this league with a big name and that just shows I worked hard for this,” Walker said. “I worked hard to put myself on the map, and to prove to myself I was an elite player in this league.
“To be able to retire with the Titans means a lot because I feel like those were my best years. I am honored to go out as a Titan. They gave me the opportunity to play my best football and go out there and do what I do best, and that’s to be a dog. I am glad that I’m able to retire as a Titan.”
Injuries slowed down the end of Walker’s career, as he played in just eight games combined in 2018 and ’19. He sat out the 2020 campaign due to concerns about COVID-19 and never re-signed with a team.
Walker, 38, retires with 504 total catches for 5,888 yards and 36 touchdown receptions.
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