BREAKING NEWS: Another patriots veteran retires

New England Patriots defensive back Cody Davis warms up before an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Nov. 29, 2020, in Foxborough, Mass

Matthew Slater isn’t the only core Patriots special teamer retiring this offseason.

Patriots special teams ace Cody Davis picks up where he left off - Pats  Pulpit

At 34 years old, Cody Davis announced he was hanging up his cleats via social media on Thursday afternoon. Very well-liked in New England’s locker room, Davis had an 11-year NFL career and spent the past four seasons with the Patriots. His contract expired earlier this month, so he was technically a free agent at the time of retirement.

“I am officially retiring from the NFL,” Davis wrote. “I am eternally thankful for this football journey and what it has meant to me and my family. For 22 years football has been what I have done, but it is not who I am. All the success and accolades I have built up will fade away, but my identity in Christ remains. I look forward to walking closer with God, being more present with my family, serving people in new ways, and finding my new career path. I have more dreams and look forward to chasing them!”

During his four seasons in New England, Davis recorded 35 tackles, overcame an ACL tear, and scored his first career touchdown last December, scooping and scoring on a fumbled kickoff in Denver.

With Davis and Slater retiring and Chris Board released, it’ll be fascinating to see how Jerod Mayo prioritizes core special teamers on the Patriots 53-man roster moving forward. A strong advocate of the kicking game, Bill Belichick always carried a handful of special-teams-only coverage players. At the moment, Brenden Schooler is the only roster lock who seems to fit that description.

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