Tracy Walker III Suspended by NFL for 12 Games

The NFL has suspended free agent safety Tracy Walker III for 12 games without specifying the reason, leaving him ineligible to play until Week 13 if he signs with a team.

Tracy Walker III hasn't played a regular-season game since 2023...

Tracy Walker III, a free agent safety, has been suspended by the NFL for 12 games without a specified reason. The suspension, announced via the NFL transaction wire, will take effect once teams reduce their rosters to 53 players. If Walker signs with a team, he'll be eligible to play starting Week 13.

Walker, who played six seasons with the Detroit Lions before being released in February, was later signed by the San Francisco 49ers but didn't see any action before being cut loose. The 30-year-old's suspension has sparked speculation among fans and experts, with some wondering if it's related to disciplinary issues or other problems.

Tracy Walker has been disqualified and thrown out of the game for personal foul hit on Jalen Hurts when he was sliding for a first down

Lions fans chanting Bull****

pic.twitter.com/FJPZIFYZFd

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) September 11, 2022

Walker's Career Highlights:

• Draft and Early Career: Walker was drafted by the Lions in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft and played all 16 games as a rookie, showcasing his potential.
• Notable Seasons: In 2019, he recorded 103 tackles, including 82 solo tackles, eight passes defended, one interception, and a forced fumble.
• Recent Performance: Walker appeared in all 17 games for the Lions in 2023, including six starts, and recorded 59 tackles, one sack, and two pass defenses.

Tracy Walker III hasn't played a regular-season game since 2023. The former third-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft spent his entire six-year career with the Detroit Lions.

Tracy Walker just obliterated Chris Godwin pic.twitter.com/1SPdBlWWKE

— AMONG US ST BROWN (@That1LionsFan) October 15, 2023

Walker signed a three-year, $25 million contract extension with the Lions in 2022, which would have kept him on the team through 2024. However, the Lions released him before the start of the season to create $5.5 million in cap space.

Over six seasons, Walker accumulated 398 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, seven quarterback hits, 23 pass deflections, three interceptions, and one sack in 79 games (43 starts).

In 2019, Walker earned the highest pass-rush grade among 167 qualifying safeties, with an impressive 90.4.

Welcome home, @TracyWalkerIII! pic.twitter.com/Jv9qBcrpCp

— Detroit Lions (@Lions) March 15, 2022

Walker has made headlines for his hard-hitting tackles, including a notable hit on Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts in the 2022 season - the same year he suffered a torn Achilles.

Walker was also flagged for a hit on Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin in the following season, despite Godwin getting up immediately after the play seemingly unharmed.

The hit drew attention and sparked debate, with Walker being penalized despite the apparent lack of injury to Godwin.