Ahkello Witherspoon spent nine NFL seasons finding ways to contribute for the San Francisco 49ers, Pittsburgh Steelers and Los Angeles Rams. His career was rarely flashy, but his best seasons showed a cornerback capable of carrying a heavy workload and producing in high leverage situations.
The Washington Commanders placed Witherspoon on the reserve/retired list Tuesday, ending his career before he could debut for the team.
San Francisco selected Witherspoon 66th overall in 2017, and his rookie season established a pattern that followed him throughout his career. After opening the year as the fifth cornerback and sitting out four games, he climbed into the starting lineup by Week 8.
In his first start, Witherspoon intercepted Carson Wentz and allowed three catches on eight targets. He finished the season with two interceptions and seven pass breakups in nine starts.
That early promise never developed into sustained success in San Francisco. Witherspoon returned an interception for a touchdown against Jameis Winston in the 2019 opener, but injuries interrupted his season before Emmanuel Moseley replaced him during the 49ers’ Super Bowl run.
Witherspoon rebuilt his value in Pittsburgh. Buried on the depth chart for much of 2021, he capitalized when injuries created an opening, intercepting Kirk Cousins twice and adding another pick against Baker Mayfield three weeks later. The stretch helped him earn a two-year extension.
The Rams eventually received his most complete season. Witherspoon played more than 1,000 defensive snaps in 2023, recording three interceptions and an incredible 14 pass breakups. Opposing quarterbacks completed only 48.1 percent of their throws into his coverage.
Los Angeles also took advantage of his length and aggressive approach by using him in press coverage on 54.9 percent of his coverage snaps, up from 43.3 percent during his final Pittsburgh season. The style carried some risk, but it allowed Witherspoon to disrupt routes before they developed, a huge asset for the, at the time, undersized Rams secondary.
Even after going unsigned and beginning 2024 on the Rams’ practice squad, Witherspoon delivered when another opportunity arrived. His only interception that season was a diving catch off a deflection in the final minute against Arizona, preserving a 13-9 victory that helped Los Angeles secure the NFC West.
Injuries ultimately accelerated the end. Witherspoon broke his scapula in Week 2 of his final season and reinjured it during the Rams’ wild-card victory over Carolina, limiting him to six games.
Witherspoon retires with 243 tackles, 13 interceptions, three fumble recoveries and a defensive touchdown. His career was defined less by uninterrupted dominance than by resilience, ball skills and a knack for rewarding teams whenever they placed their trust in him.
