Offensive tackle Dakoda Shepley announced his immediate retirement from professional football on Sunday, ending a career that included time in both the NFL and CFL.
The 31-year-old from Windsor, Ontario, confirmed the decision after the Toronto Argonauts fell in the CFL playoffs. Shepley had spent the 2026 season with the Argonauts following several years on NFL practice squads and active rosters.
He appeared in 16 regular-season NFL games across stints with the San Francisco 49ers in 2020, the Seattle Seahawks in 2021, and the Dallas Cowboys in 2022 and 2024. Most of his NFL snaps came on special teams rather than as a primary offensive starter.
“This was definitely my last year,” Shepley said Sunday, via 3DownNation.com. “One thousand percent. I thought last year was, but [I wanted to] go out on my own terms rather than go out on an injury, play a solid year of football, and try to win a championship. Is what it is, and that was it for me.”
Shepley described the physical cost of playing on the offensive line. “My body feels worse than it’s ever felt. Getting beat up week-to-week, managing injuries, shoulders, back, ankles, knees — everything hurts right now. In a month I’m sure I’ll feel fine. It’s pretty violent on the line of scrimmage.”
The Cowboys waived Shepley in August 2025 after an injury settlement. He later contacted the Argonauts himself and signed for the 2026 season.
With Toronto, Shepley played in 17 games including the playoffs. He recorded four tackles and caught one pass for three yards. The Argonauts lost the East Semi-Final 25-22 to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Saskatchewan selected Shepley fifth overall in the 2018 CFL Draft out of the University of British Columbia. He played 18 games for the Roughriders in 2019, starting 14, before opting out of his contract to pursue the NFL.
Shepley spent parts of multiple seasons with the 49ers, Seahawks, Cowboys, and Indianapolis Colts. He never started an NFL game and logged the bulk of his 16 appearances on special teams units.
Across his NFL time, Shepley earned roughly $1.9 million. He received $285,000 Canadian for the 2026 Argonauts season, which included a $5,000 travel bonus allowing visits to his family in Dallas.
“I have a newborn at home, an eight-month-old, and my wife back in Dallas,” he said. “Priorities have shifted, and I feel like I can’t give the attention that football needs that I’ve committed to all these years.”
Shepley stands 6-foot-5 and weighs around 290 to 306 pounds. He helped the Roughriders finish first in the West Division in 2019 with a strong record.
His path included undrafted free-agent stops, practice-squad stints, and multiple roster elevations. The return to Canada allowed him to play a full starting role in 2026 after years of limited NFL opportunities.
The decision ends a journey that began with a high CFL draft selection and included brief NFL elevations before the final season in Toronto. Shepley cited both physical wear and family as the reasons for walking away now rather than continuing.
