In a heartfelt social media post on Tuesday, former New England Patriots tight end Matt LaCosse announced his retirement from professional football.
I am saying goodbye to the game that I love, the game that I have sacrificed so much for, and I want to truly say thank you to those who have sacrificed so much for me
A Look at Matt LaCosse’s Career
LaCosse, a native of Naperville, Illinois, who graduated from the University of Illinois, will turn 30 in September. He broke into the NFL in 2015 with the New York Giants, where he played 2 games as a rookie.
He split time between the Denver Broncos and the Giants in 2016, playing in 5 games and getting one start. LaCosse got the bulk of his playing time in the NFL in 2017 with the Broncos when he played in 15 games, starting 5 contests.
LaCosse had 24 receptions for 250 yards and 1 TD. His time with the Patriots began in 2019 when he played in 11 games for New England, starting 8 of them. His season wasn’t a strong one in 2019 according to Pro Football Focus.
According to the analytics-based publication, LaCosse was the year’s lowest-rated player on the Patriots roster. LaCosse opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns.
However, he returned to the Patriots in 2021 to play just one game as he spent most of the season on the practice squad. The Patriots didn’t offer LaCosse a futures deal, and he decided to walk away from the game. LaCosse finishes his NFL career with 40 receptions for 403 yards and 2 TDs.
The Patriots currently have five tight ends on their roster. Hunter Henry, Jonnu Smith, Devin Asiasi, Dalton Keene, and Matt Sokol. Barring an injury, New England should have enough depth at the position.
Could Another Retirement Announcement Be Coming Soon?
The Patriots are still waiting to learn if Dont’a Hightower is going to return for another season in New England. The three-time Super Bowl-winning linebacker is a free agent. The Patriots have gone with a youth movement at linebacker as they seek to have a faster group of guys on the second level of their defense.
Hightower doesn’t fit that mold, but according to CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan, the Patriots would welcome their future team Hall-of-Famer back in a lesser role. In fact, Sullivan predicts Hightower will land with the Patriots if he chooses to play for anyone in 2022.
At this point, a retirement announcement wouldn’t be the most shocking development. Still, Hightower is just 32 years old, but he looked a bit older in 2021. After opting out of the 2020 seasons with LaCosse and six others, Hightower seemed to struggle to get back into the swing of things in 2021.
We’ll have to wait and see if he tries to give it another run in 2022.
Patriots Training Camp
The Patriots training camp gets underway on July 27. Fans and media will watch second-year quarterback Mac Jones and his chemistry with his new weapons in the passing game. Rookie wide receiver Tyquan Thornton and veteran DeVante Parker will garner their share of attention.
On the defensive side, rookie cornerback Jack Jones is expected to push veteran corner Jalen Mills for the starting job opposite the returning Malcolm Butler. That young linebacker group will also have their first opportunity to prove they’re ready to play major snaps without the veteran leadership of guys like Hightower (if he doesn’t return), Kyle Van Noy, and Jamie Collins.
Be on the lookout for the major storylines coming from Patriots training camp.
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Former Patriots TE Announces His Retirement at Age 29