Former NFL WR Albert Wilson Thanks Chiefs in Retirement Post

The Alex Smith-era Kansas City Chiefs developed plenty of fan favorites, some of which even bled into Patrick Mahomes's time with the team. Wide receiver Albert Wilson's tenure coincided mainly with Smith, although his experience with Mahomes helped produce one of his biggest games.

All of those moments are definitive memories now. After a lengthy career that began as an undrafted free agent, Wilson is hanging his cleats up at the age of 31. The former Georgia State standout announced his retirement from the NFL over the weekend via Instagram, closing the book on his playing career.

In a separate post, Wilson expressed gratitude to various franchises and important people in his life. One of the entities that got thanked was Kansas City, the organization that gave him his initial opportunity to be a professional football player.

"To the Kansas City Chiefs Organization, I want to thank you for kicking off this journey and giving me the only shot I ever needed," Wilson's post began.

Wilson appeared in 89 regular-season games during his career, with 55 of those being with the Chiefs. In Kansas City, he hauled in 124 passes for 1,544 yards and seven touchdowns. He also played in four playoff contests for head coach Andy Reid, recording 11 receptions for 95 yards and another two scores.

Mahomes played a small role in Wilson's overall story, but it's perhaps the first one that comes to mind for many Chiefs fans. With a playoff spot locked up to close out the 2017-18 campaign, the then-rookie Mahomes made his first NFL start and made Wilson his preferred target. It was Wilson's best performance of his career at the time, as he caught 10 passes on 11 targets for a whopping 147 yards.

Following his Kansas City stint, Wilson was a member of the Miami Dolphins organization from 2018-2021 (he sat out of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic). He didn't play in another game after that, although he did spend brief periods of time with the Minnesota Vikings and Las Vegas Raiders.

With this announcement, Wilson moves on to his next endeavor as a now-former NFL player. Among all pass catchers in Chiefs franchise history, he holds top-45 marks in receptions (42nd), receiving yards (34th) and touchdowns (43rd).

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