Efe Obada Announces Retirement

“I feel like I’m ready to step away from the game,” Obada said (via ESPN’s Matt Morlidge). “I’ve been very fortunate and very privileged to carve out a very long career in a space where the average career is like two, two-and-a-half, three years.

“Now that I have the energy and the focus to move on to the next thing, I think I’m ready right now.

“I feel comfortable. I wouldn’t have any regrets. I have no regrets in my career and everything that I’ve done, the effort I’ve put out there, my career, the impact that I’ve had.”

The British-Nigerian athlete made a name for himself by becoming the first player from the NFL’s International Player Pathway program to earn a spot on a 53-man roster. That came in 2018 with the Panthers, when he earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors after collecting a sack and an interception. He ended up spending three seasons with the organization, where he transformed into a steady pass rusher.

After compiling 5.5 sacks during his final season with Carolina, Obada added another 3.5 sacks during a one-year stop in Buffalo. He caught on with the Commanders ahead of the 2022 campaign and collected another four sacks. He ultimately spent three years in Washington before going unsigned in 2025. He finished his career with 15 sacks while also having brief stints with the Cowboys, Chiefs, and Falcons.

Before making it to the NFL, Obada had to overcome plenty of adversity. He was trafficked to the United Kingdom when he was 10-years-old and grew up in foster care in London. He didn’t start playing football until he was in his early 20s. As Collins writes, Obada’s experiences inspired him to launch a foundation that will support “care-experienced people aged between 11 and 25.”

“It resonates with me so much because I’ve lived it,” Obada told Collins “I know about the barriers, the isolation. … I now have the means and resources to have real impact on something that I hold very dear. It’s everything to me. I feel like it’s my life’s purpose.”