P.J. Walker, former Cleveland Browns quarterback and XFL star, has announced his retirement from professional football after nine years. He was set to play for the Calgary Stampeders in 2026.
Key points
P.J. Walker announces retirement from football
Played for Cleveland Browns and Calgary Stampeders
Retirement comes after nine years in professional football
According to a post from the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders, the team Walker was slated to play with in 2026, the quarterback is retiring.
“The Stampeders have been informed by QB P.J. Walker that he has decided to step away from football after nine years of playing professionally,” the Stampeders wrote on X.
Walker, 31, played for the Stampeders last season, serving as a backup.
He appeared in 13 games (one start) and completed 59.3% of his passes for 395 yards and two touchdowns to four interceptions.
P.J. Walker’s NFL career
P.J. Walker played his college ball at Temple, where he put together an impressive career that led to him owning the school’s all-time records in pass attempts (1,410), completions (803), passing yards (10,273), touchdown passes (72) and total offense (11,100). He was also Temple’s first quarterback to lead the program to multiple bowl games.
After his college career was over, Walker went undrafted in 2017 and initially latched on with the Indianapolis Colts but never got into a regular-season game.
He saw his first NFL action in 2020 with the Carolina Panthers, with whom he spent three seasons with, serving as a backup.
Walker completed 57.5% of his passes for 1,461 yards and five touchdowns to 11 picks in that span.
His most memorable moment was a Hail Mary pass to wide receiver DJ Moore in a game against the .
Q&A
Why did P.J. Walker retire from football?
P.J. Walker decided to step away from football after nine years of playing professionally.
What teams did P.J. Walker play for during his career?
P.J. Walker played for the Cleveland Browns and the Calgary Stampeders, among other teams in his career.
How did P.J. Walker perform in his last season with the Calgary Stampeders?
In his last season, Walker appeared in 13 games, completed 59.3% of his passes for 395 yards, with two touchdowns and four interceptions.
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The play came with plenty of controversy, though, as Moore removed his helmet after the play, which drew a penalty and led to a longer extra point that the Panthers kicker missed, sending the game into overtime. Carolina went on to lose that game in the extra frame.
Along with his stints with the Panthers and Colts in the NFL, Walker played in six games (two starts) with the Cleveland Browns in 2023 and had cups of coffee with the Chicago Bears (2023) and the Seattle Seahawks (2024).
XFL superstar
While P.J. Walker had some good moments in the NFL, he really shined during his stint in the now-defunct XFL.
Walker spent the 2020 XFL season with the Houston Roughnecks, where he played his best football.
He completed 64.7% of his passes for 1,338 yards and 15 touchdowns to four picks in five games.
Walker also added 24 carries for 99 yards and one touchdown, showing his impressive athleticism. It was very clear he was operating on another level in that league.
Regardless, Walker was a shining example of just how crucial semi-pro leagues can be, as he was able to parlay his standout showing into multiple NFL jobs in the years that followed.