New England Patriots Lose Yet Another Player To Retirement

New England Patriots have struggled with this season’s roster, losing some players to retirement, others to injuries etc.

Some NFL rookies are aware that if they fail to make the final 53-man roster at the end of training camp, it might mean the end of their careers. Patriots rookie Dustin Woodard, though, is already calling it a career.

According to NFL insider Tom Pelissero, the rookie center out of Memphis is retiring.

Woodard was picked by the Patriots in the seventh-round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year, $3.397 million deal with the team shortly after.

During his time at Memphis, Woodard was a rock on the offensive line. He played in 52 of 54 games for the Tigers. He was even rated as the top run blocker in all of college football.

It is not yet clear what led Dustin Woodard to abandon his NFL dream before it really began.

Fortunately, he’s still young. He has plenty of time to change his mind or decide what he wants to do in the future.

Patriots Will Need To Fill Open Space After Woodard’s Retirement

As for the Patriots, Woodard’s retirement leaves the team with 75 players on the active roster. This means that Bill Belichick will need to find someone to temporarily replace his departed center.

Andrews is the starting center for the Patriots. He will return to New England after missing the 2019 season due to blood clots.

Bill Belichick is ready to do whatever it takes to reinforce the roster and get the players he needs for the upcoming season.