Corey Linsley released by Chargers, expected to retire

The Los Angeles Chargers released Corey Linsley on Wednesday, paving the way for the former All-Pro center to retire. Linsley, 32, competed in three games last season before being diagnosed with a non-emergent heart issue. He was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list on Sept. 30. Linsley told reporters in January that he was "99 percent" sure that he would retire. If he does, he will finish his career without having allowed a sack since Week 10 of the 2020 season -- 1,572 consecutive pass-block snaps, CBS Sports reported. Linsley, a first-team All-Pro in 2020 and a 2021 Pro Bowl selection, served as a team captain in each of his three seasons with the Chargers after signing a five-year, $62.5 million deal as a free agent prior to the 2021 season. He spent his first seven seasons with the Green Bay Packers. "Corey is everything you hope for and more in an NFL player," Chargers president of football operations John Spanos said. "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. "To that end, at a time when he and his wife, Anna, were growing their family from two children to four while with the Chargers, they still made it a priority to serve the community as passionate advocates for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) -- work that earned Corey not one, but two Walter Payton Man of the Year nominations during his career. "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." Linsley started all 132 games he played with the Packers and Chargers. He was selected by Green Bay in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. --Field Level Media