Harris made quite a career out of winning with a bang. He was a tenacious defender and relentless tackler with a nose for the ball that helped him rack up 20 stops in nine seasons with the Broncos, rising from unknown to the core of a Broncos defense that perfectly complemented Peyton Manning in his final Hall of Fame years. in the NFL.
Harris earned four Pro Bowl nods and a first-team All-Pro selection (2016) during his nine years in the Mile High City, enjoying his best years with Broncos teams that reached the Super Bowl in the 2013 and 2015 seasons. With incredibly consistent production serving as the hallmark of his career, Harris was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s All-Decade Team for 2010.
As Denver embarked on a rebuild, Harris found work in a familiar but new place, switching sides of the Broncos-Chargers rivalry when he signed a two-year, $20 million deal with Los Angeles in 2020. That deal saw him record 74 tackles, two interceptions and eight passes defended in his time with the Bolts before giving it one more go with the Saints in 2022.
“I pretty much did everything,” Harris said. “The only award I didn’t win was Defensive Player of the Year. To get the all-decade was the pinnacle. I feel truly blessed, especially coming in as an undrafted player. I pretty much had to fight through my whole career and to be able to overcome that, that’s one that I’m definitely happy about.”
At 33 years old, Harris held out hope that he would get one last chance to chase another ring in 2023, opting to wait for a call from a contender. He never received such a call, however, instead spending the 2023 season staying in shape and watching from afar.
This time, Harris isn’t interested in spending time sitting by the phone. With a long, successful career over and a Super Bowl ring under his belt, Harris is ready to begin the next chapter of his life.