Former Titans, 49ers tight end Delanie Walker officially retires originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Delanie Walker is calling it a career.
The three-time Pro Bowl tight end officially retired from the NFL on Tuesday after 14 seasons.
Walker, 38, hasn’t played since 2019. He played the first seven of his career with the San Francisco 49ers and the last seven with the Tennessee Titans, who will honor him with a retirement ceremony at Nissan Stadium on Tuesday.
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With the 49ers, Walker was mainly a reserve. He totaled 123 receptions, 1,465 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in 99 games with San Francisco from 2006 to 2012 after being drafted in the sixth round.
Walker’s career took off when he went to Nashville at age 29. He made the Pro Bowl in 2015, 2016 and 2017, reaching a career-high 1,088 receiving yards in 2015. In 84 games for the Titans, Walker had 381 receptions, 4,423 receiving yards and 28 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 in a statement. "I worked hard to put myself on the map, and to prove to myself I was an elite player in this league.
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While he’s not likely headed to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Walker was an above-average starting tight end for several years. Injuries derailed his career earlier than expected, but he still finished with 5,888 career receiving yards and 37 total touchdowns (36 receiving, one rushing).
