Dan Connolly alludes to concussions in retirement statement
Former Patriots offensive lineman Dan Connolly feels he can play two more years in the NFL. He has interest from teams like the Miami Dolphins. But after eight years in the league, 71 starts, a Super Bowl victory and a spectacular 71-yard kickoff return, the 32-year-old is calling it a career, saying health is the “biggest factor’’ in his decision to retire. Connolly suffered five concussions in his football career, four of which came during his NFL tenure.
“It’s important to leave the game healthy,’’ Connolly told ESPN Boston’s Mike Reiss. “I’m able to be here for my kids and walk away on my own terms. I feel like I got everything I could out of football in playing 10 years, winning a Super Bowl, and playing alongside some truly great players.’’
Connolly joins a number of NFL players who have chosen to retire early this offseason. San Francisco 49ers players Chris Borland and Patrick Willis, and Titans quarerterback Jake Locker decided to retire this offsesason due to health concerns. Borland made it clear his chief concern was concussions.
Connolly was a Patriots’ captain during the 2014 season. With the ability to play multiple positions on the offensive line, he was a versatile, stabilizing force for the Pats. There were some reports the Patriots were interested in re-signing Connolly, but the team drafted a pair of guards in the 2015 NFL Draft, which seemed to indicate the two parties would not be agreeing on a deal.
Connolly made his way to New England by way of Southeast Missouri State. After entering the NFL in 2005 as an undrafted free agent, he bounced from the Jacksonville Jaguars’ practice squad to the Patriots’, where former offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia made good use of the athletic 6-foot-4, 305-pound lineman.
Having set roots in the Boston area, Connolly doesn’t have the desire to work for another team away from his family. He emphasized, too, it was easier to walk away from the game with a Super Bowl ring.
“It definitely played a part in it; helped me sleep better,’’ he added. “I’m more at ease with the decision.’’
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