Former Broncos Pro Bowl defender announces retirement from NFL

One of the architects of the No Fly Zone is signing off for good.

Former Denver Broncos cornerback Chris Harris Jr. revealed in an interview this week with the Denver Gazette that he is officially retiring from the NFL. Harris notes that the decision comes after a lack of interest from NFL teams led to him going unsigned for the 2023 season.

“I just waited a year and I stayed in shape, but I realized that everybody was pretty much moving on with the younger players, the younger wave,” said Harris in the interview. “So I thought it would be great to just call it an end."

“I was able to accomplish pretty much everything,’’ Harris added of his career. “The only award that I didn’t win was Defensive Player of the Year. Getting [named to the NFL’s 2010s] All-Decade [Team] was the top thing. I feel definitely blessed, especially coming in as undrafted. I pretty much had to fight through all my career and being able to overcome that, that’s one thing I’m definitely happy for.”

Harris, now 34, began his NFL career in 2011, signing with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent. He would eventually blossom into one of the very best defensive backs in the league with Denver, earning four Pro Bowl nods and making three All-Pro teams. 

Harris was also one of the cornerstones of the Broncos’ elite secondary nicknamed “No Fly Zone,” which helped spur the team to victory in Super Bowl 50 during the 2015 season.

After the 2019 season, Harris left Denver in free agency for the Los Angeles Chargers. He spent two seasons there before joining the New Orleans Saints for his final NFL season in 2022. Harris has now decided to close the book on a career in which he achieved countless accolades and also gained a reputation as an all-time great troll.