The Quiet Professional: Former Saint Will Clapp Announces His Retirement

Earlier this month, we discussed if the Saints should re-sign Clapp as he was a valuable player on the line and provided depth that New Orleans still had use for. But, in a league that often prioritizes the flash of a 40-yard dash or the highlight-reel catch, the retirement of a seventh-round offensive lineman rarely dominates the national cycle.

For New Orleans, the departure of Will Clapp feels a little different. This week, the 30-year-old center officially hung up his cleats after seven NFL seasons, a decision precipitated by an injury suffered during the 2025 preseason.

For Clapp, this isn't just the end of a professional contract; it's the conclusion of a decade-long love letter to Louisiana football.

Few players embody the "hometown kid" dream quite like Clapp. From the trenches at Brother Martin High School to a decorated three-year starting stint at LSU, he was a fixture of the local gridiron long before the Saints called his name in the 2018 NFL Draft

Being a seventh-round pick (No. 245 overall) usually comes with a short shelf life. In the NFL, "marginal" players are cycled out every August. Yet, Clapp defied those odds for nearly a decade. Across 66 games and 22 starts with the Saints, Los Angeles Chargers, and Buffalo Bills, he became the ultimate "glue guy"—the versatile, reliable interior lineman who could plug a hole at guard or center without the offense skipping a beat.

Sports can be cruel, and Clapp’s final season was a testament to that. His return to New Orleans in 2025 was supposed to be a triumphant homecoming, a veteran presence meant to stabilize a young offensive line. Instead, his season ended before it began, with a "pop" in his foot during the very first preseason game.

But if you want to know the measure of the man, look at what he did next. Instead of disappearing into rehab, Clapp spent his final year on Injured Reserve (IR) acting as a de facto coach. He sat in every meeting, cut film for the rookies, and stood on the sidelines on Sundays, offering the kind of "unseen" value that makes a locker room functional.

While Clapp is walking away from the huddle, he likely isn't walking away from the game. There is already significant buzz that he could transition into a full-time coaching role with the Saints. Given his familiarity with Head Coach Kellen Moore’s system and his natural leadership, it seems less like a possibility and more like an inevitability.

Will Clapp’s career wasn't defined by Pro Bowls, but by longevity, grit, and local pride. He survived in the most violent workplace on earth for seven seasons as a late-round pick—and he did it mostly in his own backyard. That is a win by any definition.