On Thursday, two former Indianapolis Colts defenders retired as both linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. and cornerback Stephon Gilmore decided to hang up the professional football cleats for good.
Originally a 2017 5th round pick of the Colts out of Northwestern, Walker Jr. would appear in 57 career games, making 48 over starts over his first four seasons. During that same span in Indianapolis, Walker Jr. would make 343 tackles (229 solo), 19 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 3 interceptions, 11 passes defensed, a forced fumble, and 2 fumble recoveries.
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In the 2021 offseason, Walker Jr. signed with the Cleveland Browns, where he played for three seasons, before joining the Miami Dolphins organization. Walker Jr. re-signed with the Colts practice squad last season, but did not appear in a game before being claimed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and appearing in his final 2 career games.
Meanwhile, Gilmore is most known for his time outside of Indianapolis, who he did play for during the 2022 season, where he recorded 66 tackles (53 solo), 2 interceptions, and 11 passes defensed in 16 starts. While he was as good as advertised as a veteran shutdown cornerback during his lone season in Indianapolis, Gilmore wanted to play for a contender, so the Colts traded him to the Dallas Cowboys an offseason later for a 5th round pick.
In his career, Gilmore was one of the best cornerbacks of his era, as a Super Bowl LII Champion and earning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, 2x NFL First-Team All-Pro, and 5x NFL Pro Bowl honors. While he was drafted by the Buffalo Bills, he gained the majority of his notoriety and was at his playing peak with the New England Patriots, but he would also play for the Carolina Panthers and Minnesota Vikings later in his Hall of Fame career, in addition to the Colts and Cowboys.
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