Chase Roullier announces retirement

Chase Roullier announces retirement

Chase Roullier announced his retirement via Instagram on Wednesday after two consecutive injury-shortened seasons.

Citing injury issues and the intensive rehab those injuries required, Roullier has hung up his cleats after six productive seasons. The Commanders released their former starting center in May, just weeks after drafting Arkansas’ Ricky Stromberg in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Midway through the 2021 season, Roullier suffered a fractured fibula that ended his year. Just two games into the 2022 season with Washington, Roullier tore his MCL which led to season-ending surgery. He planned to make a comeback for the 2023 season and even worked out for the Cardinals just last month. But barring a change of heart, his action against the Lions will mark the last NFL snaps Roullier ever takes.

Looking back on Roullier’s football life

Washington planned to make Roullier one of the cornerstones of their offensive line after years of consistent and productive interior play. The team signed Roullier to a four-year, $40.5 million extension in January of 2021 and the deal guaranteed Roullier $19MM. Although his contract would later be restructured, considering the outcome of his 2021 and 2022 seasons, the guarantees proved fruitful and important.

Washington selected Roullier in the 2017 NFL Draft in the sixth round as the 199th overall pick. He quickly made an impact in his rookie season, appearing in all 16 games and earning the starting center position by the end of the year. Roullier would be a staple for Washington at center as he started 46 of a possible 48 games through the 2020 season. During his last fully healthy season in 2020, Pro Football Focus ranked him as one of the top five centers in all of football.

Prior to the NFL, Roullier earned a scholarship to the University of Wyoming. He played both guard and center for the Cowboys and was named a team captain. During his time at Wyoming, he was selected to the First-team and Second-team All-Mountain West in 2015 & 2016.

What does Washington do moving forward without Roullier?

With the retirement of Roullier, Washington loses a vital member to their interior offensive line over the past half-decade. Stromberg and former Giants interior offensive lineman Nick Gates look to battle it out for the starting center duties. Gates provides some positional versatility as he doubled as a guard and center in New York.