By the time Andy Reid reached the podium in December 2023, the message was clear. “Richie’s got to play more than two snaps,” Reid admitted. “That’s my responsibility.” The Chiefs were already scrambling to find stability in their receiving corps, and James had quietly become one of the few reliable options. Injuries and inconsistency had wrecked the development of Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore. Rashee Rice was emerging as the primary weapon. But after that? Kansas City needed more than just warm bodies… They needed competence.

In came, Richie James, who caught 57 passes for the Giants in 2022. He suddenly had value that extended beyond punt returns. Sure, he wasn’t a headline name. But on a team stretched thin at wide receiver, James offered experience and timing, even if his opportunities were sporadic. He appeared in just nine regular-season games for Kansas City but suited up for all four playoff contests. His Super Bowl stat line, a grudge match against the Niners, one target, no catches, didn’t tell the full story. By then, the Chiefs trusted him to make clean decisions in the return game and fill gaps in a thinned-out depth chart. He did enough to earn another look. Alas, not enough to push the heavy hitters.

Now, in 2025, 2 years later, James has decided that it’s time to hang his cleats.  It was all going great for the champ (if you wanna give him the flowers because he sure does have a ring!) until injury drama struck him again. He had struggled with his injuries in the past and was able to recover and make an impact with the Giants. He waited for a long time. After a long, disappointing hiatus, he has finally made it official.

“It took time but i have come to realize i am Retired from the NFL. 7th round out of MTSU. I feel like i was just a ball player to last that long. Unfortunately, my knee never healed properly. I was playing hurt since 22’. Oh well. I gave everything I got to the game of Football,” Richie James wrote in his post.

“Unfortunately my knee never healed properly,” the WR/special team’s player further revealed. “I was playing hurt since 22’. Oh well. I gave everything I got to the game of Football.”

He was drafted in the seventh round in the 2018 NFL Draft by Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers. He had a rather battled/bruised run with the 49ers for 3 years. And he still left San Fran with 655 return yards and a touchdown, along with nine receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown, under his belt. In his third year, he faced the biggest obstacle of his career, battling COVID-19 and a hamstring injury.

The woes didn’t end for him. In 2021, he ended up sustaining a season-ending knee injury during the preseason. This was the beginning of a long series of injuries that saw him ultimately walk away from the league.

What happened with Richie James’ contract?

What happened next wasn’t unexpected, just quietly definitive. Richie James became a free agent after the 2023 season and didn’t get re-signed by Kansas City. There was no press release, no formal goodbye. A slow fade into the periphery. The Chiefs moved quickly in another direction, opting for younger, more cost-controlled options. Nikko Remigio stepped in as the lead returner. Xavier Worthy, Jalen Royals, Brashard Smith—rookies with fresh legs and long-term upside—took over the wideout pipeline. Kansas City had remade the position room without looking back.

For James, the wait stretched into silence. No follow-up offers from Kansas City. No interest elsewhere. While other veterans caught on with teams needing experience, James sat out. His history of injuries—including the one that cost him all of 2021—shadowed every potential opportunity. Even his flashes of reliability in New York and Kansas City couldn’t outweigh the medical red flags. He stayed ready, hoping that familiarity or special teams value might earn him one more shot. It never came.

After a year in limbo, James chose to walk away. Just a career that once flickered bright enough to help Daniel Jones win playoff games and Patrick Mahomes win another Super Bowl, ending quietly. In the churn of NFL roster-building, James became another reminder of how quickly the window can close… Especially when availability proves harder to offer than ability.