Levi Wallace Retires at 31 After 8 NFL Seasons as Undrafted CB Played 96 Games

Q: After fighting for eight years, was injury the final play that made this undrafted star retire?

No. Injury appears to have helped close the door on Levi Wallace’s career, but it was not the final play that made him retire. The clearest timeline shows Wallace’s last actual NFL game action came with the Denver Broncos in 2024, not with Jacksonville in 2025. In that late-2024 appearance against Cleveland, he struggled badly in coverage, was benched in the fourth quarter, and did not play another NFL game after that. That was effectively the end of his on-field career. He did suffer an undisclosed injury after signing with the Jaguars for the 2025 season, and that injury put him on injured reserve for the entire year. That setback likely prevented any comeback attempt and may have influenced the timing of his retirement announcement. But there is no public indication from Wallace that he retired specifically because of that injury. His own retirement message focused on the arc of his career rather than a medical reason: “Walk-on. Undrafted. 8 years. Retired. Not bad.” That fits the broader picture of a player whose career had already reached a difficult turning point after his final Broncos stint. What is clear is that Wallace leaves as a success story. He went from Alabama walk-on to undrafted free agent to eight-year NFL veteran, finishing with 96 games, 333 tackles, 56 pass deflections and 12 interceptions. Injury was part of the ending, but not the decisive final play.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 18

31-year-old cornerback Levi Wallace announced his retirement on Instagram, ending an eight-year NFL career after spending last season on Jacksonville's injured reserve without appearing in a game.
96 career games captured a rise from Alabama walk-on and undrafted free agent to regular starter, with Wallace totaling 333 tackles, 56 pass deflections and 12 interceptions.
Buffalo gave Wallace his first opening in 2018, and he started every game he played over four seasons there while posting 219 tackles and six interceptions.
Pittsburgh used him as a starter in 18 of 31 games over two seasons before his final on-field action came with Denver in 2024.