Anthony Chickillo, a linebacker that spent six seasons in the NFL, has surprisingly decided to call it a day. The 28-year-old announced his retirement last weekend and caught quite a lot of NFL fans by surprise with his announcement.
Six Seasons – Three Franchises
Chickillo was a sixth-round NFL Draft pick for the Steelers in 2015. He went on to spend five seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and then joined the New Orleans Saints before the start of the 2020 season.
However, he spent only several weeks in New Orleans, where he trained with the Saints’ practice squad. He was then signed by the Denver Broncos, and they included Chickillo in their active roster right away. When Chickillo retired, he was a free agent.
Father and Grandfather Played Football Too
In his announcement on Instagram, Chickillo thanked the Steelers, Broncos, Saints, and the University of Miami for giving him the chance of a lifetime. He said that his life dreams were to attend the University of Miami and to play in the NFL, and he got to live out both of them.
Chickillo added that football was always a part of his life and family, and it would stay that way forever. Chickillo’s father, Tony Chickillo, also played professional football and made appearances for the Chargers and Jets during a period of three years in the 1980s.
Chickillo’s grandfather, Nick Chickillo, also played football professionally, albeit for only one year. He spent one season with the Chicago Cardinals in 1953.
Played Four Playoff Games
In his five seasons for the Steelers, Chickillo played 65 games and started 9 of those. Despite being a linebacker, Chickillo impressed when playing on special teams. He had 7.5 sacks while with the Steelers, three fumble recoveries, and three forced fumbles.
Chickillo will retire happy knowing that he also appeared in the playoffs. During his time with the Steelers, he had four playoff appearances, which included the 2016 AFC Championship Game, which the Steelers, unfortunately, lost to the New England Patriots.
