The Calgary Stampeders confirmed that the quarterback has decided to step away from the game after nine years as a professional.
Walker had been set to suit up for Calgary in the upcoming 2026 CFL season before the announcement came, leaving the Stampeders without the backup quarterback they had planned on.
🐐‼️ @pjwalker_5
— Temple Football (@Temple_FB) April 30, 2026
Congratulations to PJ on his retirement after 9 seasons of Professional Football. Forever one of us! #TempleTUFF pic.twitter.com/nArOgkegtI
He was undrafted out of Temple in 2017 after setting multiple school passing records, signed with the Indianapolis Colts, and spent three seasons on their practice squad without ever appearing in a regular season game.
Walker joined the XFL's Houston Roughnecks in 2020 and had arguably the best season of his professional career, throwing for 1,388 yards with 15 touchdowns and four interceptions and leading Houston to the XFL Championship before the league suspended operations due to the pandemic.
That performance earned him a shot with the Carolina Panthers, and he made the most of it.
The NFL Career That Made Him Famous
Walker appeared in 15 games across three seasons in Carolina, making seven starts and finishing with a 4-3 record as a starter, completing 57.5 percent of his passes for 1,461 yards, five touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
The moment that most people will remember about Walker came on October 30, 2022, when he launched a 67-yard touchdown strike to D.J. Moore on the final play of regulation against the Atlanta Falcons to tie the game.
The throw, which traveled farther in the air than any completed pass since 2016 according to Next Gen Stats, was immediately one of the most memorable plays of the NFL season.
It was nullified because Moore removed his helmet in celebration, setting up a missed extra point that sent the Panthers to overtime and eventually to a 37-34 defeat.
"The Stampeders have been informed that quarterback P.J. Walker has decided to step away from football after nine years as a professional," the Stampeders wrote on X.
— Sumner (@renmusb1) May 1, 2026
Walker saw limited action last season with the Stampeders, primarily serving as a backup. He did start in one… pic.twitter.com/TgT8J8S6ZO
He made two starts for the Cleveland Browns in 2023, completing 48.6 percent of his passes for 674 yards with one touchdown and five interceptions, and bounced to the Bears' practice squad and the Seahawks' preseason roster before signing with the Stampeders in 2024.
His two CFL seasons were limited, primarily serving as a backup with one start in 2025 that produced 395 passing yards alongside two touchdowns and four interceptions.
Photo Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images
