Ex-Chiefs Super Bowl Champion WR Abruptly Retires From NFL

There was an unexpected NFL retirement on the evening of July 18, and the former wide receiver/returner most recently suited up for the Kansas City Chiefs.

After a one-year hiatus from the league following the 2023-24 Super Bowl victory over the San Francisco 49ers, ex-Chiefs WR Richie James made an abrupt announcement on X on Friday night.

“It took time but i have come to realize i am Retired from the NFL,” James wrote. “7th round out of MTSU. I feel like i was just a ball player to last that long.”

“Unfortunately my knee never healed properly,” the WR/special teamer went on to reveal. “I was playing hurt since 22’. Oh well. I gave everything I got to the game of Football.”

Richie James’ NFL Career Included 3 Stops Before Retirement

James is another classic example of the NFL being nicknamed the “Not For Long” league.

Entering as a seventh-round pick of the 49ers in 2018, James played three seasons in San Francisco before suffering a major injury. He did not participate in the 2021 campaign because of this, and apparently, he felt he was never the same player after it.

After 689 receiving yards, 2,135 all-purpose yards and 4 total touchdowns with the Niners over that three-year span, James managed to ink a deal with the New York Giants following his long injury recovery.

In terms of personal success, James put together his best NFL season in New York, racking up 569 yards and 4 touchdowns as a receiver and another 174 yards as a punt returner.

This flash of playmaking ability earned James a look in Kansas City the following season, but injuries caught up to him once again. At age 28, James only appeared in 9 regular season outings with the Chiefs before suiting up for all 4 playoff matchups.

He mostly contributed as a returner throughout the 2023 Super Bowl run, accumulating 114 receiving yards and 501 all-purpose yards.

In the Super Bowl, James returned 4 punts for a total of 12 yards. He failed to catch his lone target from quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Now, just before his 30th birthday in September, the recent Chiefs champion has officially decided to retire from the NFL.

Chiefs Have Gone Younger at WR/Returner Since Richie James Experiment

As noted above, James quietly faded out of the league last year as a free agent who was never signed.

The Chiefs elected to go younger at the wide receiver/returner position, allowing the veteran to walk in free agency, and it would seem he didn’t get too many nibbles after that.

Undrafted prospect Nikko Remigio ended up winning the lead returner role in KC last season after spending his rookie year on the injured reserve. But the Chiefs also drafted Xavier Worthy in 2024 and rookies like Jalen Royals and Brashard Smith this spring.

And those aren’t their only return options. Ex-UDFA running back Carson Steele has dabbled as a kick returner, and drafted cornerback Nohl Williams could get a look on punt returns, too.

Not to mention veteran second-round talent Skyy Moore, who played with James.

Just like that, in a couple of offseasons, Kansas City has totally rebuilt its returner room. Unfortunately, those decisions never left much opportunity for a player like James to return.