Ex-LSU Tigers lineman Will Clapp concludes his eight-year NFL journey, announcing his retirement on Wednesday night.
A former LSU Tigers star who made it to the NFL has called it a career after eight years, as Will Clapp announced his retirement on Wednesday night.
"From the first to the last and all the ones in between, thank you for being my rock! Grateful for an amazing career and excited for our next chapter," said Clapp on an Instagram post.
The New Orleans native had a very Louisiana-focused football career, making stops in-state all the way from his childhood to the NFL. His last team was the New Orleans Saints.
Clapp was a four-star offensive line recruit out of Brother Martin High School in the 2014 recruiting class. He came to LSU in a stacked class that included Leonard Fournette, Jamal Adams, Davon Godchaux and Cole Tracy.
A whopping eight members of his recruiting class made it to the league; now, just Godchaux remains under contract with an NFL team. Adams could still sign with a team this offseason, though.
As for Clapp, he spent four years (played three) with the Tigers. He was a two-time All-SEC player. He was a dominant pass blocker up the middle. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) has him logged with just 16 pressures and two sacks allowed in three years as a starter.
Despite a productive career, he didn't get drafted until the seventh round by the Saints in 2018. A large part of that was likely a limited athletic profile projecting him as a backup in the NFL, given that he was quite slow and not strong enough to make up for it.
Clapp did end up being mostly a backup. His only real starting season came in 2023 with the Los Angeles Chargers. The last time he saw the field was in 2024 with the Buffalo Bills. He re-signed with New Orleans in 2025, but a Lisfranc injury in the preseason cost him the season.
Now, rather than rehabbing and trying to come back as a depth piece for the Saints, the 30-year-old will enjoy retirement.