After being out of the NFL last season, Will Compton has decided to hang up his cleats. The veteran linebacker announced on Sunday that he has retired at the age of 33.
Compton spent his first five seasons in Washington and it was there that he saw most of his defensive playing time. The former UDFA started 33 games in the nation’s capital, including 25 between the 2015 and ’16 seasons. He eclipsed the 100-tackle mark in the latter campaign, but his stats fell off significantly after that as he worked as a backup and special teamer.
The Nebraska product bounced around the league following his time in Washington, alternating between the Tennessee Titans and Las Vegas Raiders over a four-year span. He started only seven combined games during that span, but he established himself as a valuable special teams contributor along the way. Compton’s Vegas release last January led to a lengthy stay on the open market, though he personally announced a deal which would have seen him join the Atlanta Falcons midway through the campaign.
No such agreement was ever finalized, however, and he spent the full 2022 campaign away from teams’ active rosters. Compton has not been able to find a deal this offseason as well, so he will now move on from his playing days. His time as a co-host of the popular "Bussin’ With the Boys" podcast is likely to continue, though, giving him a ongoing connection to the NFL.
“I truly can’t put into words how grateful I am for this game and the people who have been on this journey with me,” Compton wrote in his retirement message. “Thank you all so much.” He will leave the game with just under $6.5M in career earnings.
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