Patrick Willis was elite as a rookie 49ers linebacker. Eight seasons later, he did enough as a veteran 49ers linebacker to retire and eventually get the call to the Hall of Fame.
Willis needed to wait almost a decade after he retired in 2015 to be inducted into Canton as part of the Class of 2024. Among modern-era players enshrined, Willis had one of the shortest, most illustrious careers.
Here's revisiting why Willis chose to hang it up playing in the NFL before the age of 30.
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Patrick Willis stats
Willis was selected No. 11 overall in the 2007 NFL Draft after winning both the Butkus and Jack Lambert awards in his final season at Ole Miss. He was an immediate defensive superstar that '07 season, leading the NFL with 174 tackles. Willis was the easy Defensive Rookie of the Year choice and earned a Pro Bowl nod and first-team All-Pro honors.
All told, Willis played in 112 games, racking up 950 tackles (twice leading the league), 60 tackles for loss, 20 sacks, eight INTs, 53 passes defended, 16 forced fumbles, and five fumble recoveries.
Why did Patrick Willis make the Hall of Fame?
Willis tacked on four more first-team All-Pros and made the Pro Bowl in his first six seasons. He is the fourth top-12 pick from the '07 draft to make it to Canton, joining wide receiver Calvin Johnson, offensive tackle Joe Thomas, and cornerback Darrelle Revis. He also is a member of the NFL's 2010s All-Decade Team.
In his seven fully healthy seasons, Willis averaged 131 total tackles. His signature was his speed and quickness that allowed him to make tackles and plays in coverage all over the field.
Patrick Willis injuries
Willis did have his share of ailments, but he was available for most of his 49ers seasons. He first missed a game in the the 2010 season finale after requiring additional surgery on a broken right hand through which had played with a cast.
In 2011, Willis sustained a late-season hamstring injury that cost him three-plus games of action. Although Willis rebounded to lead the 49ers' defense to Super Bowl 46 against the Ravens after the 2012 season, he missed two more games with a groin injury in 2013.
Why did Willis retire in his prime at 29?
From 2007-13, Willis ended up missing only six games; however, he played in only six games during his final NFL season in 2014.
The hamstring, hand, and groin injuries were official reasons he missed previous action, but Willis admitted he was playing through a painful left toe ailment for multiple seasons. The nagging got to be too much, leading Willis to have season-ending surgery.
The toe had already taken too much of a toll, making that decision to have surgery a career-ender. Willis was able to stay on the field with the hurting toe in the past, but it caught up to him and didn't allow him to be the same available stat-stuffing force.
Another factor was the fact the 49ers decided to mutually part ways with coach Jim Harbaugh. Two days after the '14 season on Dec. 30, Harbaugh was named coach of Michigan, leaving the 49ers in a messy transitional era with Jim Tomsula. Willis had reached his individual and team peak in San Francisco with nothing left to prove.
Willis took his time in the early offseason but announced his decision to retire from the NFL on March 10, 2015. The less-than-a-decade career may have postponed his induction until his fifth year of Hall of Fame eligibility, but he was still on track to get in by 2024 after being named a promising finalist in 2023.
Linebacker is a brutal, busy position. Willis took a ton of snaps and hits early in his career. He still ended up giving the 49ers plenty without ever showing them real decline.
