P.J. Walker has decided to step away from football after nine professional seasons, the Calgary Stampeders said Tuesday. Walker had been set to suit up for Calgary in the 2026 season before informing the team of his decision.
The Stampeders said they had been informed that the quarterback was stepping away after a career that took him from Temple to the NFL and the XFL before his time in Calgary. He saw limited action with the Stampeders in 2025, mostly working as a backup, and started one game while finishing with 395 passing yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions.
Walker’s path to the end of his career began at Temple, where he starred and set multiple school passing records. He also led the program to multiple bowl appearances and became the first quarterback in Temple history to do that. That college success did not lead to a simple pro landing spot. He went undrafted in 2017 and signed as a free agent with the Indianapolis Colts.
He spent three years with Indianapolis and did not appear in a regular-season game, then kept finding new chances elsewhere. Walker made four appearances with the Carolina Panthers in 2020, the same year he had his best season with the Houston Roughnecks in the XFL. He later played in six games for Carolina in 2022, his third and final season with the team, before making two starts for the Cleveland Browns in 2023 and signing with the Chicago Bears that same year. In 2024, he played in the preseason with the Seattle Seahawks.
What makes the retirement notable now is the timing: Walker was preparing for another season in Calgary before stepping away. That leaves the Stampeders without the quarterback they had expected to bring back for 2026, and it closes a long pro career that kept getting reset by new teams, new leagues and another chance to play.
