Philadelphia Eagles: Noted Dad favorite Stefen Wisniewski is retiring
After 10 seasons in the NFL split between the Oakland Raiders, the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Kansas City Cheifs, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Philadelphia Eagles – though not necessarily in that order – two-time Super Bowl champion Stefen Wisniewski is officially hanging up his cleats and riding off into the sunset of retirement from football.
At 32-years-old, Wisniewski has appeared in 139 games with 106 starts and developed into one of the league’s most-trusted veteran stopgaps capable of soaking up starts when need be before lifting his kickstand and riding off to his next destination.
Is that an ideal situation? Heavens no. Every player would surely like the stability of a long-term deal that keeps him gainfully employed in the same city indefinitely, but if you can’t get that, jumping from playoff team to playoff team while getting a few Super Bowl rings in the process is one heck of a consolation prize.
But now, that’s all over. Wisniewski is ready for the next chapter of his life and will surely make as big of an impact off the field as he did on it. For Dads around the Delaware Vally who remember watching Wisniewski as a kid, at Penn State, and eventually with the Philadelphia Eagles, this is surely a sad day.
Stefen Wisniewski’s NFL career is in the books, Philadelphia Eagles fans.
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If you’re a fan of Pennsylvania football, you surely knew the name Stefen Wisniewski long before he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2016.
The nephew of Steve, the Penn State great who was drafted in the second round by the Cowboys in 1989 and went on to make eight Pro Bowls as a guard with the Raiders, and the son of Leo, another Penn State educated player who was drafted in the second round in 1982 but only lasted three seasons at defensive tackle with the Colts, Stefen grew up in Pittsburgh, played his high school ball at in-state powerhouse Central Catholic, and went on to continue the Wisniewski legacy in Happy Valley.
After three banner seasons decorated with ESPN Academic All-American honors and a spot on the All-American team, Wisniewski even furthered his legacy by being drafted by his Uncle’s former team in the second round to initially play guard before transitioning to center during his second professional season.
Though Wisniewski wasn’t bad per se during his time in Oakland, the team opted to upgrade their center position heading into the 2015 free agency period and opted to sign Rodney Hudson to a whopping five-year, $44.5 million deal at the expense of allowing their homegrown snapper walk in free agency on a one-year deal worth $2.5 million.
In hindsight, should the Raiders have simply retained Wisniewski at that cap number and kicked him back to guard? Maybe so, as the team had to shuffle their offensive line around after losing Menelik Watson to a preseason torn Achilles tendon, but hey, their loss is the Jagurs’ gain, or should I say the Philadelphia Eagles’ gain, as Jacksonville cut bait on Wisniewski after one season riddled by poor snaps and he ultimately returned to his home state to play for the Birds.
From there, Wisniewski played three seasons with the Eagles as the team’s on-again, off-again left guard, splitting time with Isaac Seumalo and most notably started for the team in Super Bowl 52, where he played every snap and walked off the field a champion.
Wisniewski continued on with his ring chasing ways by joining the Kansas City Cheifs in 2019 and again in 2020 after beginning his season with his hometown Pittsburgh Steelers.
But for many a fan in the City of Brotherly Love, Steve Wisniewski’s nephew will forever go down as a vital cog in the Philadelphia Eagles’ only Super Bowl win, which in turn makes him a certified legend in our fair city.
dark. Next. Hey Nick Sirianni, the left tackle competition is over
So Stefen Wisniewski, enjoy your retirement. May your ride into the sunset be a smooth one and the next chapter of your life be just as impactful as your time in the league helping a few really good teams make their Super Bowl dreams come true. I’m sure many a Dad in the City of Brotherly Love is saluting your services as we speak.