Seahawks C Connor Williams retires from NFL for personal reasons

Seahawks center Connor Williams missed practice this week for a personal matter. He has retired from the NFL, coach Mike Macdonald announced Friday.

"So Connor early this week decided to retire. Personal reasons, and we respect that," Macdonald said, via video from Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. "Wish him the best, and we've got to move forward."

Macdonald said he does not expect Williams to change his mind.

"I don't believe so. We will honor his wishes and keep all those reasons and conversations private for obvious reasons," Macdonald said.

Second-year player Olu Oluwatimi will take over as the starting center for the Seahawks.

Williams, 27, signed with the Seahawks on Aug. 6.

He had a “significant” knee injury that included a torn ACL during a Dec. 11 game when he played for the Dolphins against the Titans. It appeared this offseason that Williams might retire during the offseason but decided to return after working his way back.

Williams moved from guard to center after signing a two-year deal with the Dolphins in 2022 and became a solid starting center.

The Cowboys made Williams a second-round pick in 2018, and he played 92 career games, with 86 starts.