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Jalen Ramsey entered the league in 2016 as a first-round pick (5th overall). But he saw a blueprint for success in the second-round pick of 2012. That player was Casey Hayward, the league interception leader in 2016 with 7 picks. Over the years, they shared many moments. One moment that made fans laugh was the 2018 AFC Pro Bowl practice. When the Super Bowl winner claimed he was the best defensive player, Hayward put forward his stats to make a compelling case. Fast forward to 2025, then-rookie is celebrating a life-changing occasion in the veteran’s life.

On July 12, Jalen Ramsey posted an Instagram story that showed the banner, Welcome to the Showcase. But what pulled everyone’s attention was the caption. The Steelers CB wrote, “HAPPY RETIREMENT TO MY MF BROTHER” while tagging him @show_case29. After playing 11 seasons in the league, the veteran hung up his cleats. But Ramsey didn’t stop there to pay his tribute.

He posted a series of stories. In one of them, Hayward is dressed in a white and black tuxedo, ready for the special moment, one which closes the window on his 11 seasons in the league. While Hayward flexed his suit, Ramsey was overjoyed, writing a perfect caption, “different fr!

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To make the occasion more fun, the veteran’s family roped in rapper YFN Lucci, who sang as Hayward danced to the tunes. Jalen Ramsey closed his stories with a last one, ft. the veteran CB rocking his sunglasses, looking sharp and satisfied with the way things turned out in his career.

For years, they often stayed in the headlines. Whenever analysts picked up the list of the best cornerbacks, Hayward was hard to ignore. However, there was no major announcement for his retirement. And the silence around this update is a little hard to understand.

Aaron Rodgers’ former teammate retires in silence

There was no farewell post, no Players’ Tribune essay, and no teary-eyed press conference. Just silence, until Jalen Ramsey broke the news. Is that how Casey Hayward wanted it? Maybe! He was a technician, not a talker. Aaron Rodgers‘ former teammate in Green Bay never chased the spotlight.

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Drafted in the second round in 2012, he picked off six passes in his rookie season with the Packers, tied for fifth in the league that year. But you wouldn’t know it from his social media. He just played the game the right way, then walked away the same.

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After four years in Green Bay, he hit his stride with the Chargers. That’s where the numbers got loud. In 2016, Hayward led the NFL with seven interceptions, earned his first Pro Bowl, and followed it up with another in 2017. Over five seasons in the Chargers, he racked up 14 interceptions and 66 pass deflections. Those are shutdown-corner numbers. But Hayward never branded himself like Jalen Ramsey. He just showed up, clamped WR1s, and let others do the talking.

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He later gave the Raiders a full 17-game season in 2021, quietly stabilizing a chaotic defense. Then came the Falcons in 2022, a shoulder injury led him to injured reserve, and that was it. After failing to find a team in the last two seasons, he bid goodbye this year. Total career 25 interceptions, 112 passes defended, over 150 games. A stat line most CBs would kill for.

And maybe that’s what makes his exit feel so poetic. While the NFL world scrolls past offseason headlines, one of the sharpest cornerbacks of the last decade just quietly slipped out the side door.

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