FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts: Patrick Chung, a former New England Patriots defender who was scheduled to play this season after opting for the NFL 2020 campaign, has reversed course and announced his retirement Thursday.
Chung, 33, said on Instagram that “it’s time to start a new life.”
This would have been Chung’s 12th season in the NFL and his 11th with the Patriots. He has played in 153 regular-season games (122 starts), as well as 23 playoff games (20 starts).
After originally joining the team as a second-round draft pick in 2009 at the University of Oregon, Chung was part of three Super Bowl championship teams in New England. He had spent a season with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013, but returned the following season and said the only coach he had planned to play with was Bill Belichick.
In his Instagram post, Chung said he was making his tear-jerking announcement, thanking Belichick for “teaching me life on and off the field.”
Chung, whose toughness, versatility, and work ethic often pointed to Belichick, is the only player in NFL history to appear in the playoffs in each of his first 11 seasons. He was selected as a member of the 2010 Patriots ’All-Decades team.
Chung opted for the 2020 season for family considerations, and told CBS in an interview, “It was a tough decision. You want to play football. I’m at the end of my career, but when it comes down to it, I feel like money they are not that important.I have a pregnant girlfriend, a baby girl soon, my son has some asthma, my father is 75. I just felt this was the best decision for my family to keep everyone safe. It’s not over, it’s just been postponed for a while. “
Along those lines, Chung had recently been working at Gillette Stadium, which meant his plans to play again in 2021. But obviously things have changed in recent weeks.
The Patriots have great security, with starters Devin McCourty and Adrian Phillips returning, and best draft pick from the 2020 draft Kyle Dugger. They also reached a four-year, $ 24 million deal with defensive end Jalen Mills, who went from corner to safety last season with the Eagles.