Seahawks Top Starter Abruptly Retires From Football in Mid-Season. The Seattle Seahawks are in need of a new starting center after Connor Williams unexpectedly retired mid-season. Williams, who had previously overcome a significant knee injury while playing for the Miami Dolphins in 2023, had joined the Seahawks in August.
Williams’ NFL career spans several top teams, beginning with the Dallas Cowboys, who selected him in the second round (No. 50 overall) of the 2018 Draft out of Texas. He initially played left guard for Dallas, though he was briefly benched before eventually becoming the starting left guard following an injury to Zach Martin.
Williams suffered a major setback in his rookie year with a season-ending ACL tear in 2019 but made a full recovery and started all 16 games at left guard in 2020. His performance peaked in 2021, allowing just one sack throughout the season. In 2022, he signed a two-year, $14 million deal with the Miami Dolphins, where he transitioned to center.
He played every offensive snap for the Dolphins that season (1,057 total) and allowed just three sacks with six penalties. Despite this strong performance, he missed mandatory minicamp in 2023 while seeking a new contract. However, he eventually returned to play, only to suffer a groin injury, and was replaced by Liam Eichenberg at center. In Week 14 of 2023, Williams tore his ACL again.
Determined to return to the field, Williams signed a one-year, $6 million contract with Seattle but has now chosen to retire, leaving the team in a challenging situation. Olu Oluwatimi, who is set to take over as the Seahawks‘ new starting center, faces the tough task of replacing one of the NFL’s top centers. With Seattle’s playoff hopes on the line at 4-5, the team will be counting on Oluwatimi to rise to the occasion and help anchor the offensive line in the absence of Williams.
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