After 11 NFL seasons, after two Lombardi Trophies, after countless double teams taken on and ball-carriers stuffed at the line of scrimmage, massive defensive tackle Vince Wilfork's career as a member of the New England Patriots has come to a close.
Here is Wilfork's statement on the move, posted to twitter:
"I want to take this time to just let everyone know that I was informed on Tuesday that the Patriots will not be picking up my option. I'm in a good place I have a great relationship with the Patriots organization. Please know how blessed my family and I have been to be able to play 11 years in New England for a amazing organization. The love you guys as fans have shown me have been my inspiration year in and year out...Your messages your stories your conversations and support always tough my heart. New England has been and always will be my home. I have played 11 years for the greatest head coach ever! I've played next to Men that I now have as brothers for a lifetime, a first class organization. I came back from a season ending injury when most doubted me and then won the Super Bowl in my come back year...New England has been great to me and my family...Can I still play football? Hell yea! Do I still love football? Hell yea! One thing for sure is I will always be a fixture in New England forever...this will always be my home!! I won a Super Bowl my rookie year I won't one this year!! 11 years with one great organization 11 years married to the love of my life 3 beautiful healthy kids...One major injury lots of gas still left in the tank...All I can say is I'm blessed, I'm thankful, I'm grateful...I will take my time think things through take into consideration many things but mainly my family and see where life goes from there...But regardless remember I will always remain a New Englander a Patriot forever."
The Patriots decided not to pick up the option in his contract - which, as Adam Caplan of ESPN notes, included a $4 million roster bonus were he to be on the roster as of March 10 - meaning he will become an unrestricted free agent.
Wilfork has been named to the Pro Bowl five times and a first-team All-Pro once.
Wilfork had this to say, per Kevin Dillon of MassLive.com, prior to the Pats Super Bowl XLIX victory.
"My first year in the NFL, winning the Super Bowl, I was like, 'Man, this is easy. I could do this all the time,'" Wilfork said, per Dillon. "And little did I know, here I am 11 years later, more excited now than then that I'm at this level with my teammates."
While it's a great story that he gets to end his Patriots career on top, it will, no doubt, be tough for folks in New England to see a guy who loved football so much and was such a class act go.
