Former Steelers CB Retires During Training Camp

Another former member of the Pittsburgh Steelers has announced his retirement before the 2026 NFL season officially begins.

After Andrus Peat and Levi Wallace both recently hung up their spikes, cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon has followed suit, evidenced by the fact that the Washington Commanders have placed him on the reserve/retired list according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Commanders placed veteran CB Ahkello Witherspoon on the Reserve/Retired List.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 4, 2026

Witherspoon spent parts of nine seasons in the league and recorded a total of 243 tackles with 13 interceptions over 96 games between Pittsburgh, the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams.

Witherspoon's Time with the Steelers

A third-round pick by the 49ers in the 2017 NFL Draft out of Colorado, Witherspoon was both a starter at cornerback and a contributor on special teams before signing a one-year deal worth $4 million with the Seattle Seahawks ahead of the 2021 season.

The Steelers later swung a trade for Witherspoon before Week 1 that year, sending a 2023 fifth-rounder back to Seattle as part of the deal.

Despite giving up an asset to land Witherspoon, Pittsburgh designated him as a healthy inactive for eight of its first nine games, with the only exception coming in Week 2 when he logged five total snaps against the Las Vegas Raiders.

He became a key piece of the Steelers' defense from Week 11 on though, making three starts and receiving 434 reps between his duties at cornerback and on special teams (per Pro Football Focus).

Sep 11, 2022; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon (25) intercepts the ball in the second half against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

When it was all said and done, Witherspoon closed out the season with 15 tackles, nine passes defended and three interceptions. He also started Pittsburgh's Wild Card round loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs and posted two tackles.

The Steelers rewarded Witherspoon with a two-year extension worth $8 million in March 2022. He only ended up playing four games the following season, however, due to a hamstring injury that eventually resulted in him being placed on IR.

Over that small sample size in 2022, Witherspoon had 20 tackles, a pass defended and an interception over 248 defensive snaps.

He proceeded to sign with the Rams ahead of the 2023 campaign and remained with them through 2025, putting up 91 tackles and five interceptions in 36 games for them, before signing with the Commanders this offseason and subsequently retiring just as training camp is beginning to get into full swing.

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