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Zach Banner Retires From NFL, Ending Comeback Bid

The fan-favorite tackle pivots to media after a 2020 ACL tear cut short his rise to a Steelers starting job.

Overview

  • Banner announced his decision on his podcast and social media on Feb. 15, stating he is officially retiring from the NFL.
  • He said he will retire as a Pittsburgh Steeler and thanked his family along with communities from Tacoma and Guam to USC and Pittsburgh.
  • A 2017 fourth-round pick by the Colts, he was waived as a rookie, played eight games with the Browns, then joined the Steelers in 2018.
  • He earned the Steelers’ starting right tackle role in 2020 before tearing his ACL in Week 1, last appeared in an NFL game in 2021, and was released in 2022.
  • He played for the UFL’s Houston Roughnecks in 2025 and had tryouts with the Bears and Chiefs that year, then set his sights on a media career.