Longtime Chiefs WR Gehrig Dieter Announces Retirement
As the Kansas City Chiefs continue their offseason, one of their former players is stepping away from the game of football. On Wednesday, wide receiver Gehrig Dieter announced that he's retiring from the NFL.
Dieter, who recorded 144 catches for 1,707 yards and 15 touchdowns in college at Bowling Green State and Alabama, joined the Chiefs organization as an undrafted free agent in 2017. He appeared in 10 games for the club on offense over the years, getting targeted five times and hauling in a pair of passes for 32 yards. Dieter's last regular-season catch for the Chiefs came in January of 2021 against the Los Angeles Chargers. He also has one career postseason reception on his resume, which came in the club's Divisional Round blowout win over the Indianapolis Colts.
Jan 20, 2019; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Gehrig Dieter (12) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the New England Patriots during the second half of the AFC Championship game at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Back in February, the Chiefs signed Dieter to a reserve/futures contract that gave him a chance to remain with the team for his sixth NFL campaign. In May, however, the 29-year-old was listed among a group of six that got waived by the Chiefs. After that, he joined the New York Giants as a veteran in their rookie minicamp, although he never fully managed to latch on and remained a free agent until the announcement of his retirement.
Dieter, a Kansas City fan-favorite and a player who had a knack for sticking around even when he wasn't always on the active 53-man roster for game days, now enters the next stage of his life after defying the odds to this point. Countless undrafted free agents never play a single snap for teams, and he was able to do that and remain in the picture for years. Now, the Chiefs will move forward with a revamped receiving corps this season and Dieter will be set to begin his post-playing career.
