The Cleveland Browns parted ways with linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. after the 2023 season, bringing an end to his three-year run as a starter with the team. He went on to spend the 2024 season with the Miami Dolphins and 2025 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before deciding to call it a career. After nine whole seasons in the NFL, Walker has officially hung up his cleats. Following the announcement, tributes poured in from around the football world, with players like Deshaun Watson and Jaylen Waddle sharing heartfelt messages in recognition of his impact on and off the field.

“NEXT CHAPTER. Dear God, Thank You,” wrote Anthony Walker Jr., posting a series of pictures of himself from different stages of his football career.

The linebacker was a 5th-round pick from the 2017 NFL Draft when he was picked by the Indianapolis Colts. The Northwestern Wildcats graduate spent his first four seasons of his NFL career with the two-time Super Bowl champions, where he became a regular starter from the second season.

The top-performing campaign of his NFL career came when he was at the Colts in 2019 after registering 124 combined tackles and 2.5 sacks. Playing 57 games for the franchise, he started 48 before ultimately leaving for the Cleveland Browns.

Signing a one-year deal initially, he became a defensive captain of the Browns, leading the team on the gridiron with 113 total tackles from only 13 games. Had he played the entire season, it could easily have been the best season of his career statistically. Despite a promising start, his following two seasons at the organization were hampered by a torn quad injury and then inconsistency. It goes without saying that his tenure with the Browns was where he left the biggest mark of his career.

When the Miami Dolphins signed him in 2024, he played 14 games and started 8 in his lone season before his career started to falter. After getting picked by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he was waived before the start of the season, while the Colts and the Bucs later picked him for their practice squads.

At the start of the off-season in 2026, Walker was a free agent before finally calling it a day. Considering he is only 30 years old—an age when a number of NFL players still remain at the peak—the retirement decision is quite surprising. That said, his teammates and colleagues have showered him with congratulatory messages.

Deshaun Watson, Jaylen Waddle, and others congratulate Anthony Walker Jr

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson joined the franchise in 2022 and shared the locker room with Walker for two seasons. The latter showed generosity by giving up his jersey number 4 for him. The former teammates are good friends off the field, and the QB left a message for him.

“More GLORY MY BRUDDA!!” wrote Watson.

Just like that, the linebacker was a colleague of Jaylen Waddle when they both played for the Miami Dolphins, and the wide receiver also congratulated him for his brilliant career.

“Real steppa!!” noted Waddle.

The 30-year-old’s former teams, the Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins, also wished him warm congratulatory messages.

“Congratulations!” wrote both teams.

The Colts’ star, Alec Pierce, did not play with Walker, but he reached out with a thoughtful message.

“Congrats and good luck with the future!” noted Pierce.

As Anthony Walker referred to the next chapter in his social media post, it certainly leaves one curious about what are his retirement plans.