Getty New England Patriots retired defensive back Patrick Chung
There’s been some discussion about a potential Julian Edelman return as he is still trying to figure out if he can sustain a comeback. Meanwhile, former New England Patriots three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Chung is seemingly teasing a desire to return to the gridiron.
The 35-year-old Chung took to Twitter on Friday and posted a tweet that sounds a lot like a guy thinking about making a comeback.
I want to play football
Perhaps Chung is just trolling Patriots fans. Maybe he wants to play but knows that he’s not physically capable of it anymore.
There’s also a chance that he’s seriously considering giving it another go. The Patriots drafted Chung in Oregon’s second round of the 2009 NFL Draft.
Chung played the first four years of his career with the Patriots before he bolted for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013. He would only be in the City of Brotherly Love for one year before returning to the Patriots in 2014.
While Chung suffered some memorable injuries like the broken arm he had in Super Bowl LIII, he was exceptionally durable during the 11 years he spent in the NFL.
He missed just five games in the last six years he played in the NFL. Chung was among eight Patriots to opt out of the 2020 season because of COVID-19 concerns, but he never returned and officially retired ahead of the 2019 season.
Having now spent two years out of football and with the season set to get going, it seems like Chung at least has the itch to get back on the field.
The Patriots tried something similar with one of Chung’s former running mates in the New England secondary when they signed Malcolm Butler this offseason after he’d been retired for one year. That didn’t work out as the Patriots wound up releasing Butler just before the start of the regular season.
With Chung having spent now two-plus years out of football, the chances he could make an impact as a 35 or 36-year-old hybrid safety seems slim.
Do the New England Patriots Have Room For Patrick Chung?
Even if Chung could get himself into the best shape, there is a question as to whether he could outperform younger safeties currently on the Patriots’ roster.
The safety position is the Patriots’ best group, with Devin McCourty, Adrian Phillips, and Kyle Dugger anchoring. There is also second-year player Josh Bledsoe and former Heisman finalist Jabril Peppers. Chung would essentially be stepping into a buzzsaw of competition with the Patriots. While his legacy in Foxboro is cemented, none of the current Patriots are likely to happily surrender snaps to him.
Would Patrick Chung Play For Another NFL Team?
Chung has played for the Eagles, but aside from the 2013 NFL season, he spent his entire career with the Patriots. It makes sense to expect him to attempt a comeback with Bill Belichick if he attempts one at all.
However, because the Patriots don’t appear to need a player at his best position, Chung might have to explore the options of playing for another NFL team.
Chung’s thirst to play would have to be really strong for him to try to catch on with any team besides the Patriots.