Patriots left tackle Matt Light, after barely more than a decade in the NFL, has decided to call it a career.
The Patriots officially announced the move on Monday.
“For the past 11 seasons, Matt’s many accomplishments, both on and off the field, made him the consummate Patriot,” owner Robert Kraft said. “His contributions helped the Patriots become champions on the field and in the community. For more than a decade, Matt anchored the offensive line and protected Tom Brady’s blind side, delivering three Super Bowl titles and five conference championships during his tenure. And as proud as I am of Matt’s many contributions to those championship teams, I truly believe that Light’s lasting legacy will be measured by the many positive things he has done to help others in the community. His investment in the lives of children will pay dividends for generations to come. Matt will always be a member of the Patriots family and we wish him and his family all the best in the future.”
So why now?
“When you know it’s your time, you just know,” Light said Monday at a press conference, via Mary Paoletti of CSNNE.com.
Light leaves at the old-by-football-standards-but-not-decrepit age of 33.
“I’ve got a daughter that’s 10 and I’ve got two boys that are knuckleheads,” Light said. “They need a lot of guidance and a lot more time. One of these things that was apparent over the last few seasons was it takes a lot longer to recover the older you get. It took a lot to give more than a hug and a ‘Good morning’ to my family.”
Though Light said nothing to suggest that the door could never reopen (then again, neither did Brett Favre in 2008 . . . or 2009 . . . or 2010), quarterback Tom Brady isn’t ready to move on.
“I’m certainly going to miss him and I’m still going to try to talk him out of retirement because I still want him back here for a few more years,” Brady said.
We don’t envision Light returning. Then again, far crazier things have happened. In the last two months.