Former Broncos CB Chris Harris Retiring After 12 Seasons

“I just waited a year and I stayed in shape, but I realized that everybody was pretty much moving on with the younger players, the younger wave,” Harris told the Denver Gazette. “So I thought it would be great to just call it an end.”

“I was able to accomplish pretty much everything,” Harris added. “The only award I didn’t win was Defensive Player of the Year. Getting All-Decade was the top thing. I feel definitely blessed, especially coming in as undrafted. I pretty much had to fight through all my career and being able to overcome that, that’s one thing I’m definitely happy for.”

Harris, 34, wound up signing on with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent out of Kansas back in 2011. He made the roster and played out a three-year, $1.39 million contract that included a signing bonus of $2,000 before Denver placed a second-round tender on him that paid him $2.18 million for the 2014 season.

He then signed a five-year, $42.5 million contract and was set to make a base salary of $7.8 million for the 2019 season when Denver signed him to a new, one-year, $12.05 million deal.

From there, Harris agreed to a two-year deal worth more than $20 million with the Chargers in 2020. After two seasons with Los Angeles, Harris has a one-year stint with the Saints in 2022.

For his career, Harris appeared in 172 games and made 145 starts. He recorded 621 tackles, six sacks, seven forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, 22 interceptions for 508 yards, 97 passes defended, and four touchdowns.

We wish Harris the best in his retirement from the NFL!