Linebacker Jerod Mayo ended his season on injured reserve for the third straight year and this year’s torn pectoral muscle will be the last injury of his NFL career.
Mayo took to Instagram Tuesday evening with a post that he captioned “Retiring A Patriot.” Rather than an image, Mayo displayed a short note of thanks to the Patriots for his eight years with the club.
“After a lot of thought Chantel and I take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude for what we consider a life changing event…..that of becoming a New England Patriot for the past 8 years,” Mayo wrote. “We are extremely grateful to ‘Thundercat’, Jonathan, the Kraft family, Coach Belichick, the Pats organization, and the most amazing fans in contributing to these pages of our lives. As my family and I prepare for the future be sure that the Pats memories will always hold a special place in our hearts. #51 JMayo”
Mayo also tore his pectoral in 2013 and tore the patellar tendon in his knee in 2014, which limited him to 12 games across those two seasons. He was set to make $3.4 million in salary and a $4.5 million roster bonus in 2016 and his departure leaves the Pats with $7 million more in cap space and $4.4 million in dead money.