Corey Linsley hasn't taken the field since late September due to a heart issue, and it's likely the Chargers' All-Pro center won't take the field again. Linsley is "99%" sure he'll retire, he told reporters Monday after the conclusion of Los Angeles' 2023 season.
Originally signed in 2021, when his five-year contract briefly made him the highest-paid center in the NFL, Linsley was placed on the team's Non-Football Illness list after Week 3. He underwent additional tests for a "non-emergent heart-related issue" throughout 2023 and is scheduled to have more tests in March, per ESPN, before finalizing his expected retirement.
The issue is not life-threatening, the Chargers announced earlier this year, but Linsley indicated to reporters Monday that his health and family will take precedence over continuing his NFL career, which began in 2014.
Linsley, 32, spent the first seven years of his career with the Packers, anchoring Aaron Rodgers' offensive line across 99 starts. He made his first Pro Bowl in 2021 after joining the Chargers, helping improve Justin Herbert's protection in Los Angeles. Knee and head injuries cost him three games in 2022, but he remained a vital piece of the Chargers' front going into this season.
