One of the most unlikely players in recent NFL history has called it a career. Shaquem Griffin, the former Seahawks linebacker who lost his left hand at age 4, announced Wednesday he was retiring after four seasons. Writing for The Players’ Tribune, the former UCF standout revealed he had attracted interest from half a dozen teams after a 2021 off-season stint with the Dolphins, but ultimately decided to stepping away from the game to join the NFL Legends Community, a mentorship program.
Griffin, 27, the twin brother of current Jaguars cornerback Shaquill Griffin, was born with a rare birth defect preventing the fingers of his left hand from fully developing. Yet he became a football and track star at Lakewood High School in Florida, then an All-American linebacker for UCF. The Seahawks’ fifth-round draft pick in 2018, a year after his brother Shaquill was drafted by Seattle, Griffin spent the first three years of his career alongside his brother.
The linebacker appeared in all but two games from 2018 to 2020, primarily as a reserve on the Seattle defense. After Shaquill signed with the Jaguars in free agency in 2021, Griffin left as well, signing a one-year deal with the Dolphins. He was, however, released as part of the final cuts and spent half the year on Miami’s practice squad.
“I worked for the Cardinals, Titans and Jets, then got calls from Buffalo, Dallas and Atlanta,” Griffin wrote for The Players’ Tribune. “But after that Jets practice, I realized something. All that travelling, training for teams, trying to catch up somewhere, trying to hang on – that wasn’t what I wanted. Football had already given me so much, and the one thing I still really wanted from the game was to play with my brother again.”
So Griffin informed his agent that he would hang up the cleats unless a reunion with his brother in Jacksonville was possible. Now the veteran is ready to work for the NFL Legends community after a pitch from commissioner Roger Goodell. The program is designed for retired players to mentor current and former players as they transition out of the game and into the community.
“As kids, we dreamed of playing together in the NFL, but every time we talked about it, our dad reminded us that if we got to the league — especially if we played together — it would be an added blessing. “, Griffin wrote on Wednesday. “A bonus. Plan A was to go to college, get an education, and do something that would have a positive impact in the world.”
