Underdog San Francisco 49ers 2017 NFL draft pick retires from NFL after improbable seven-year career
San Francisco 49ers WR Trent Taylor is hanging up the cleats after an improbable 7-year NFL career. His retirement announcement came on Instagram, featuring images of a celebration with George Kittle, teammates, friends, and family.
A former San Francisco 49ers player is hanging up his cleats after an improbable NFL career.
The average career in the league lasts just over three seasons, and it’s even tougher to make it when you’re a Day 3 draft pick vying for a roster spot. Those odds didn’t stop WR Trent Taylor, who joined the 49ers as a fifth-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft out of Louisiana Tech. He spent time with the 49ers, Cincinnati Bengals, and Chicago Bears over the course of his career, carving out a role as a reliable special-teams contributor and slot receiver.
Taylor beat those odds from the start, earning a spot on San Francisco’s 53-man roster as a rookie and appearing in 15 games during his first season. He recorded 43 receptions for 430 yards and 2 touchdowns that year, establishing himself as a contributor early on.
Taylor’s career by the numbers
Taylor played 80 regular-season games with three starts across his seven NFL seasons. He amassed 88 receptions for 845 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns, adding 5 rushing attempts for a total of 858 scrimmage yards.
Listed at 5-foot-8 and 180 pounds, Taylor’s value extended well beyond the box score. He was a dependable special-teams weapon, logging 112 punt returns for 1,051 yards, with a long of 39 yards. He also contributed eight kickoff returns for 106 yards, including a long return of 25 yards.
Taylor spent four seasons with the 49ers before stops with the Bengals and Bears. He returned to San Francisco in 2024, appearing in two games during his second stint with the organization. An injury ahead of the 2025 NFL season prevented him from appearing in any games throughout the year, which factored into his decision to step away.
Celebrating the end alongside George Kittle
Taylor shared the moment with his longtime teammate and friend, 49ers tight end George Kittle. Posts on Taylor’s and his wife’s Instagram stories showed teammates celebrating his retirement alongside Kittle, with whom Taylor built a close bond during their overlapping years in San Francisco. They all wore shirts featuring Taylor’s likeness, celebrating his NFL career.
At what would have been his age-32 season, Taylor decided to walk away from the game. For a player who entered the league as a fifth-round pick with an uphill climb ahead of him, lasting seven years and playing 80 games represents a career worth celebrating.
What comes next for Taylor remains to be seen, but the former 49ers receiver exits the NFL having outlasted most players whose names are called on draft weekend.