Commanders LB Nick Bellore Retires

One season remained on Bellore’s contract since he re-signed with Washington on a two-year pact last March. Instead of spending the coming weeks preparing for a 16th season in the NFL, though, he will now turn his attention to his post-playing days at the age of 37. Bellore’s career spanned five teams and a similar workload in almost every case.

Upon entering the league as an undrafted free agent, Bellore was a regular presence across four years with the Jets. His defensive workload was essentially non-existent during that span, but Bellore logged over 300 special teams snaps each season. Things changed during a 49ers campaign in 2016 (in which Bellore handled a 67% defensive snap share), but otherwise third phase responsibilities were the focal point of his NFL workload.

During a two-year stint with the Lions, Bellore saw limited offensive action as a fullback. Still, the Central Michigan product handled a significant snap share on special teams, something that continued with a Seahawks run from 2019-23. On two occasions during that Seattle tenure, Bellore earned a Pro Bowl nod for his strong third phase work. Upon joining Dan Quinn and Co. in Washington in 2024, he remained a core special teamer for the final two seasons of his career.

Having remained highly durable throughout his career, Bellore played in 239 combined regular and postseason games during his NFL tenure. Playing out a string of one- and two-year deals along the way, he amassed a little over $20MM in career earnings.