Getty Former Eagles guard Stefen Wisniewski retired after 10 NFL seasons and two Super Bowl rings.
It was quite the journey for Stefen Wisniewski, a two-time Super Bowl champion who might go down as one of the greatest backup offensive linemen in NFL history. He was always there in a pinch and worked his way into 113 career starts, including seven in the postseason. Wisniewski retired on Thursday after 10 NFL seasons.
The 32-year-old was an integral part of the 2017 Eagles’ championship game after taking over at left guard for an ineffective Isaac Seumalo. He started 17 games that year (including playoffs) and dominated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII. Nick Foles was only hit five times and never sacked en route to Super Bowl MVP honors. The Eagles’ running backs – LeGarrette Blount, Jay Ajayi, Corey Clement – averaged 6.1 yards per carry.
“Our offense was rolling and we knew pretty much from the start they couldn’t stop us,” Wisniewski said in 2018, via the Bucks County Courier Times. “We knew we needed just a little help from our defense, and that’s what we got.”
Congratulations to @stefenwiz61 on a great career!
Wisniewski, a second-round pick in 2011, saw action in 139 regular-season games during stints with the Eagles, Chiefs, Raiders, Jaguars, Steelers. He earned Super Bowl rings in 2017 (Eagles) and 2019 (Chiefs) and narrowly missed another one in 2020 with Kansas City. He referenced his two championships in a farewell message on Twitter: “Those experiences were absolutely amazing for me, and I will treasure those memories forever.”
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Trusty Reserve, Famed ‘Shadow Blocker’
The 6-foot-5, 305-pounder was extra valuable on the offensive line due to his versatility. Eagles All-Pro Jason Kelce appreciated the attention to detail that Wisniewski brought to the huddle, specifically when it came to making adjustments.
He had split time at center and guard so he was doubly invested in the calls. Wisniewski earned a reputation as a trusty “shadow blocker,” according to The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane.
“I block the heck out of the air,” Wisniewski said. “I probably look weird or crazy, but I got to feel it.”
Happy Father’s Day to my amazing dad!
I’m so grateful to have a dad who taught me everything: discipline,hard work, right from wrong,how to lift weights,how to play football, and most importantly how to be a follower of Jesus!
I wouldn’t be who I am today without u-thanks dad!
Maybe it ran in the family. Wisniewski’s father, Leo, played nose tackle for the Colts and his uncle, Steve, was an eight-time Pro Bowl guard for the Raiders. Stefen was twice named first-team All-Big Ten at Penn State and earned All-American honors in 2010.
Jordan Mailata Learned Combo Blocking from ‘Wiz’
Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata mentioned Kelce and “Wiz” (Wisniewski) in the same breath last year when talking about his own development. The big Aussie – and new starter on the blind side – was having a hard time with his combination blocking during his rookie year. He wasn’t getting his helmet down enough for proper leverage, but those two guys fixed his fundamentals.
“Come down helmet first, get in behind the blocks, him [Kelce] and Wisniewski were two of the first to really fix the fundamentals I needed to correct,” Mailata said. “And even to this day, he [Kelce] is always talking football to me, always trying to get me to understand angles.”