In an offseason of change, the Los Angeles Chargers have parted ways with yet another notable player. The team has released former All-Pro center Corey Linsley, who is expected to retire following a 10-year career that included three years with the Chargers and seven with the Packers.
Linsley's 2023 season ended after just three games after the Chargers placed him on the reserve/non-football illness list with a non-emergent, heart-related issue. Linsley said in January that he was "99%" sure that he wouldn't play football again.
"Corey is everything you hope for and more in an NFL player," Chargers president of football operations John Spanos said in a statement. "The consummate professional, his mentorship of younger players, work ethic, integrity, leadership, competitive drive and sense of humor all played a role in earning him the 'C' on his jersey throughout the entirety of his time with us. And as good of a football player as he is, Corey's an even better person.
"While he has taken his last snap in the NFL, Corey's story is far from being written. We cannot wait to see what the next chapter has in store for the Linsleys, and we wish Corey, Anna, Seamus, Killian, Quinn and Ruth all the best moving forward."
A three-year captain in Los Angeles, Linsley was tabbed as the Chargers' Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee in 2021, his first year with the team. He was also selected to the Pro Bowl that season.
A 2014 fifth-round pick, Linsley was an immediate starter for the Packers. In fact, Linsley never played in an NFL game that he didn't start in. He made 132 regular-season starts and an additional 11 starts in the postseason.
Linsley was instrumental in Aaron Rodgers winning three of our four league MVP awards. In Los Angeles, Linsley helped Justin Herbert earn his first Pro Bowl nod during their first season together.
Linsley joins wideouts Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and running back Austin Ekeler as notable Chargers players who have left the team this offseason.
If he retires, Linsley will finish his career with 1,572 straight pass-blocking snaps without allowing a sack, which is the longest active streak in the NFL without giving up a sack, according to CBS Sports Research. The last time Linsley allowed a sack was in Week 10 of the 2020 season, meaning that he never gave up a sack during his Chargers tenure.
