He was a New Orleans kid who followed his father’s footsteps to LSU. He became a team captain just like his dad, and then got drafted by his hometown Saints. For seven seasons, he showed up, did the dirty work in the trenches, and outlasted almost everyone who got picked anywhere near him in the 2018 draft. On Wednesday, that player officially called it a career. History will remember Will Clapp.

In his Instagram post, Clapp announced his retirement from the NFL. He posted a slideshow of photos with his wife with a caption, “From the first to the last and all the ones in between, thank you for being my rock! Grateful for an amazing career and excited for our next chapter!”

Clapp’s NFL journey started in the seventh round of the 2018 Draft. He went as the 245th overall pick when the Saints selected him out of LSU. Those late-round picks usually wash out within a season or two. But Clapp had always been something different. At LSU, he recorded 218 knockdown blocks across his career. He didn’t allow a sack in his sophomore season. Moreover, he helped pave the way for three consecutive 1,000-yard rushers: Leonard Fournette and Derrius Guice (twice).  

In his first four seasons with the Saints from 2018 to 2021, Clapp appeared in 34 games and earned seven starts. He steadily carved out a role as a trusted depth piece along the offensive line.

The highlight of his time back in New Orleans might just be a Christmas Day in 2020. Clapp was part of the offensive line that blocked for Alvin Kamara’s historic six-touchdown rushing game against the Vikings. It was a 52-33 win that tied an NFL record and clinched the Saints’ fourth straight NFC South title.

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google

After his rookie contract expired, he signed with the Los Angeles Chargers in April 2022. That’s where his career really hit its stride. In 2022, he played a career-best 17 games. And in 2023, he made 11 starts while snapping the ball for Justin Herbert day in and day out. He had become a reliable starting center in the NFL. It is a remarkable achievement for a 245th overall pick.

After the Chargers parted ways with head coach Brandon Staley following the 2023 season, Clapp found himself moving on again. He played one game with the Buffalo Bills in 2024. It was a year in which Buffalo made a deep postseason run before falling to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship. And then came the homecoming, in March 2025, Clapp signed with the Saints, returning to the city and franchise where it all began. It felt right. 

Unfortunately, the football gods weren’t kind. In the Saints’ very first preseason game against the Chargers, Clapp went down with a Lisfranc tear in his right foot. He described the moment in a November 2025 interview with heartbreaking detail.

 “We call a little old quick pass play and the guy hits me with a little bull-to-swim, and when I went to redirect on his swim move, I just felt my whole foot give out. I limped back to the huddle, and I was trying to convince myself I was good to go. Played another snap and I was like, ‘I’m not right.’”  That second snap turned out to be the last of his career.

For Clapp, who totaled 66 regular-season games and 22 starts across his career, retiring now, at 30, with a growing familial responsibility, was simply the right call. There are already whispers that the Saints could offer him a coaching role. Whatever comes next for Will Clapp, he leaves the NFL having beaten the odds and done it entirely on his own terms.

What could be the former LSU OL’s next move?

After spending four seasons in the Crescent City, Will Clapp went to chase a fresh chapter with the Chargers. Although he spent just one season there, at that time he developed a relationship with offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. Given that old connection, Moore has only praise for the former Saint.

“Will’s phenomenal,” said Moore. “I had a chance to be with him in Los Angeles. Obviously, he played a ton of snaps for us there and then unfortunately had the injury in preseason this year. He’s a huge part of this. He’s an important part of our experience here with the offensive line.”

This high praise could be a factor for this former LSU legend to get his next opportunity. Maybe not as a player, but his journey suggests he could start his next chapter as a coach. In that scenario, a recent vacancy was created by Jahri Evans as he joined the Steelers as an assistant offensive line coach, leaving the Saints; analysts predicted Clapp could be a fit for that position. But nothing is settled yet.