We still haven’t heard confirmation directly from Matt Light about his intentions for next season, but it’s looking more and more like he’s finished playing football.
PFT reported that the longtime Patriots left tackle would retire last week and the Patriots placed Light on the reserve/retired list on Tuesday, according to Howard Balzer of the Sports Xchange and others. The move can be reversed if Light announces his intention to play again, but the move means that he is now officially considered retired by the NFL.
The move opens up a spot on the 90-man roster and frees up around $5 million in cap room for the Patriots. They could now shift their draft focus to add depth at offensive tackle. Nate Solder, who held up well as a rookie in 2011, is the logical choice to replace Light with Sebastian Vollmer remaining the starter on the right side.
Light, a second-round pick in 2001, started 153 games for the Patriots, made four Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team during his 11-year career.