Veteran American quarterback Matthew Shiltz has retired from the Canadian Football League after eight seasons.
Shiltz wrote a statement on Instagram:
Thank you, football.
God has blessed me with an incredible opportunity to play the game professionally for nine years, but it is now time to retire from the game I love. I’ve created unforgettable memories, met amazing people, experienced the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat, and found the love of my life along the way. The game has taught me so much about faith, life, and has molded me into the man I am today.
To my family, teammates, coaches, fans, agent, and everyone who has supported me along the way, thank you. For the unwavering support, motivation, brotherhood, love, and everything in between, words can’t express the depth of my gratitude. I hope to give back to the game one day as much as it has given me.
My mom always encouraged me to pursue my dream of playing professional football and believed in God’s plan for me, even when I didn’t fully understand it myself. I’ll always be grateful to her and hope she’s looking down from heaven, proud knowing I gave everything I had, both on and off the field.
“Be strong and of good courage, and do the work. Do not be afraid or dismayed; for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished.” 1 Chronicles 28:20.
The six-foot-one, 210-pound QB spent his final three-down league season with the Ottawa Redblacks following one year with the Calgary Stampeders, two with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and four with the Montreal Alouettes.
Shiltz dressed for 106 CFL games in his career since signing with Montreal in 2017. His two most productive seasons came with the Ticats in 2022 and 2023, where he split reps under centre and rotated in for certain packages.
The 33-year-old completed 401-of-626 passes (64 percent) for 5,078 yards with 22 touchdowns and 27 interceptions. The St. Charles, Ill. native has also rushed 124 times for 789 yards and six majors.
After going unselected in the 2016 NFL Draft, Shiltz started working for Ernst & Young in Indianapolis. One year later, the Alouettes invited him to workout. He also had sessions with the Redblacks and Stampeders prior to inking a deal with Montreal in 2017.
Following his standout high school career, Shiltz earned a scholarship to Butler University where he played 17 games during his final two seasons. He completed 58.7 percent of his passes for 4,037 yards with 29 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while rushing for 857 yards and 13 touchdowns.
