Retirement news is never easy to come by in the NFL, and this one isn’t an exception either. Former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Levi Wallace has retired at the age of 31, bringing an end to a career that began with absolute uncertainty. While the message conveyed through his retirement video said much, it’s the reaction from teammates past and present, George Pickens included, that spoke volumes.

“Walk-on. Undrafted. 8 years. Retired. Not bad,” Levi Wallace posted on Instagram on Friday.

In 2018, the Buffalo Bills took a chance on him as an undrafted free agent. That “chance” nearly didn’t pan out either; he spent training camp fighting to make the roster as a backup. When final cuts came around that September, Buffalo let him go. A day later, though, they brought him right back onto the practice squad.

Wallace made the most of it. Other than his rookie season and a brief 2020 spell sidelined by an injury that kept him out of four games, he played in almost all games during his stint with the Bills.

In 2022, Wallace signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers and played there for two years before moving to Denver in 2024. His last season saw him try out in camp for Jacksonville, but due to an unknown injury, he was placed on IR and later released with an injury settlement.

The former cornerback recorded a great season in 2021, when he was on a one-year contract with the Bills. Shouldering on a big responsibility after Tre’Davious White was out with an injury, Wallace allowed a passer rating of only 76.2 when targeted. He finished that year with 58 total tackles, two interceptions, one fumble recovery, and 10 passes-defended.

Put it together, and you have 96 regular-season appearances, 12 interceptions, and 333 total tackles. He did manage to rack up a post-season sack in Buffalo’s 17-3 playoff victory against Baltimore in January 2021.

Now that he’s stepping away, the reactions are pouring in from people who know him best. George Pickens, his former Steelers teammate, shared the same tribute video on his own story and kept his comment simple.

“🥷🏾🥷🏾🥷🏾🤽🏿‍♂️,” he commented.

Jordan Poyer, who spent his Buffalo days alongside him, got a little more sentimental.

“My brother, the moments were special ❤️‍🔥 grateful for the time we had. Congratulations, enjoy it all ! .. ahhh haaa haaaa 😮‍💨😎,” he wrote.

Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky kept his message short and to the point and wrote, “Congrats bro 🫡🫡🔥🔥.”

“My brother! Congrats!” former Bills safety Micah Hyde commented.

Super Bowl champion wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders offered maybe the most fitting send-off of all.

“You beat the odds, bro.💪🏾 Proud of you. Congrats on a great career,” Sanders commented.