New England Patriots: Dan Connolly decides to retire

The New England Patriots interior offensive line used to be one of the best in the NFL, and guard Dan Connolly, who also spent some time at center, including last season, was once a big part of that. Now 32, Connolly hasn’t been at his best over the past couple of seasons, so his decision to retire doesn’t really come as a surprise.

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According to ESPN Boston’s Mike Reiss, Connolly has decided to call it a career, and he leaves the game as a Super Bowl champion after playing 1,071 snaps at left guard and center last season for the Patriots, per Pro Football Focus.

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When asked by Reiss if winning the Super Bowl last season helped make it easier for him to retire in 2015, Connolly responded, “It definitely played a part in it; helped me sleep better. I’m more at ease with the decision.”

Per PFF, Connolly had the NFL’s worst Pass Blocking Efficiency at the guard position last year, finishing 59th out of 59 qualifiers, which is a far cry from where he was at during his best years in this league. Of course, Connolly was more known for his run blocking, and he, center Ryan Wendell, and left guard Logan Mankins helped Stevan Ridley run for a career-high 1,263 yards back in the 2012 season.

As he told Reiss, Connolly leaves the game healthy, and with all the serious injuries that hit NFL players, that qualifies as going out on top, especially since he’s also got a ring on his finger.

Since the Patriots drafted two of the better guard prospects in this year’s class in Tre Jackson and Shaq Mason, who both project as powerful run blockers with some rawness in pass protection, they were never expected to bring back Connolly, who received a workout from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (the Bucs, after all, have his former guard partner Mankins).

Connolly was never a standout player for the Patriots, but I’m sure the fans will honor him after he did his job for several seasons as a quality starter for this organization. When he was at his best, Connolly was a versatile run blocker who could clear open lanes at either guard spot or center, and nobody will forget his 71-yard squib return, which is the longest return for a lineman in NFL history. I mean, even Green Bay Packers fans must have loved that insane play, which should go down as one of the best moments ever.

Reiss wrote back in late June that retirement was always a possibility (even a likelihood) for Connolly, as the 2014 starter didn’t sign with the Bucs due to his unwillingness to leave the area (he has three children) after all.

His career started as an undrafted free agent out of Southeast Missouri State, and the New England Patriots turned him into a quality starter and captain, as he never looked back from regular playing time after his first couple of seasons on the Pats roster. Many people outside of New England don’t know him, but, again, I’m sure Patriots fans will respect and remember him years from now, even if he wasn’t exactly effective in 2013 or 2014.

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