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Former Panthers starting quarterback P.J. Walker has announced his retirement from football

The Carolina Panthers have spent the offseason not worrying about the quarterback position, as they believe they have found their guy in Bryce Young after he led the team to the playoffs in 2025. While Young still has struggled to consistently lead the Panthers up and down the field, they managed to find a winning formula last season.

Considering all the struggles Carolina has had at quarterback in recent years, the team will surely take what it got from Young last season. On Thursday, one of the guys who preceded Young as the Panthers’ starting quarterback, P.J. Walker, announced some big news regarding his future as a football player.

P.J. Walker Announces Retirement from Football

Walker’s career in football took him to quite a few different places. He initially got his start with the Indianapolis Colts after he didn’t get selected in the 2017 NFL Draft, and he spent parts of three seasons with them, although he never suited up for a game while in town. In 2020, Walker wound up with the Houston Roughnecks in the newly-formed XFL, and his strong play led to him finding his way back to the NFL.

It was the Panthers who signed Walker, and he eventually made his NFL debut in 2020. After serving as a backup again in 2021, Walker started five games for Carolina in 2022, although his numbers were fairly pedestrian during his time on the field (63/106, 731 YDS, 3 TD, 3 INT). After the season, Walker departed in free agency, spending time with the Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, and Seattle Seahawks.

In 2024, Walker latched on with the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League, and he spent the past two years with them as a backup option. With few offers on his desk, Walker decided to call it a career on Thursday, as he officially announced his retirement from football after playing nine seasons in the pros.

“Former NFL and XFL QB PJ Walker is retiring from football after nine seasons,” Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team shared in a post on X. “Walker spent time with the Panthers, Bears, Browns, and Seahawks during his NFL career.”

P.J. Walker Helped the Panthers Land Bryce Young

GettyCarolina Panthers QB Bryce Young

Walker’s stint with the Panthers wasn’t all that memorable, as he was largely used as a bridge option to help put the team in position to land Young in the 2023 NFL Draft. However, he filled in admirably during his time on the field with Carolina, as he was often put in situations where he wasn’t given much of an opportunity to succeed, which is always going to be tough for a quarterback looking to find his way in the NFL.

It certainly wasn’t a traditional path, but Walker managed to put together a strong NFL career as a reliable backup quarterback who could hold his own when he found his way onto the field. Now, he will get to ride off into the sunset and enjoy retirement, and who knows, maybe he will be keeping tabs on the Panthers are they attempt to build off of their surprisingly successful 2025 season.