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New England Patriots: Rob Ninkovich retires after 11 years in NFL, 8 in Foxboro

By Logan Jakubajtys

FOXBORO, MA - OCTOBER 21: Rob Ninkovich
FOXBORO, MA - OCTOBER 21: Rob Ninkovich /
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Rob Ninkovich has been a presence for the New England Patriots both on and off the field for eight years, but now he has officially retired.

Rob Ninkovich is one of the most underrated New England Patriots of all-time. He silently put up stellar numbers over his eight seasons in Foxboro, and though they dipped over the past few years, he remained a much-needed figure in the locker room.

When you think of the Patriots way, you should look at Nink as the prime example of what that means.

After 11 seasons in the NFL, DE/LB Rob Ninkovich has chosen to retire. The rumors have been swirling all offseason, and even more so on Saturday when the team announced a previously unplanned press conference for Sunday afternoon. The team did not state what the press conference was about, but fans and media began to speculate, especially since Ninkovich has been absent at training camp the last three days.

On Sunday, sources revealed that Rob Ninkovich did plan to retire.

Prior to the press conference, the media room filled with current Patriots players as they send Nink off with one final salute. Brady, Edelman, Branch, McCourty, Chung and others were all present.

Bill Belichick opened the retirement press conference, and he echoed what many Patriots fans were thinking, noting how much Nink will be missed. Bill highlighted Ninkovich’s history prior to New England, focusing on Rob’s work ethic and heart. Belichick addressed Rob directly as well, and you could tell just how proud he was of his career both on and off the field. Bill had some extremely high praise for the way Ninkovich went about his business with New England.

Belichick also added that while the Patriots will miss Rob on the field, he will still be around. It will be interesting to see what type of role Nink can pick up within the organization.

Next, Robert Kraft spoke to the media about Rob and his New England career.

Rob then stepped up to the podium himself. He mentioned, of course, how much he loved playing in New England and how much he will miss it. He noted how he and Devin McCourty would always crack jokes in meetings while Belichick was speaking.

Ninkovich spent the majority of his career with the Patriots. He was a force for 8 seasons in New England, and he put up better numbers than you may have realized. Over his Foxboro career, Nink missed only 5 games. 4 of those games came as a suspension last season. Prior to that, he missed just one game in 2009. With the Patriots, Rob recorded 279 solo tackles, 190 assists on tackles, and 46 sacks. He also forced 12 fumbles and scooped up 14 recoveries, taking one in for a touchdown. Ninkovich also had 5 interceptions with the Patriots, one for a score. Those are just his regular season numbers.

Ninkovich spent the majority of his career with the Patriots. He was a force for 8 seasons in New England, and he put up better numbers than you may have realized. Over his Foxboro career, Nink missed only 5 games. 4 of those games came as a suspension last season. Prior to that, he missed just one game in 2009. With the Patriots, Rob recorded 279 solo tackles, 190 assists on tackles, and 46 sacks. He also forced 12 fumbles and scooped up 14 recoveries, taking one in for a touchdown. Ninkovich also had 5 interceptions with the Patriots, one for a score. Those are just his regular season numbers.

Of course, Ninkovich made the playoffs every season that he was in New England. He helped the club win two Lombardi trophies, as he appeared in 17 games. He tallied 31 solo tackles, 29 assists, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and an interception. That fumble recovery actually came in the Patriots comeback win over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI. It was a huge momentum swing in the Patriots favor.

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While Ninkovich isn’t a Pro Football Hall of Fame type f player, it may surprise you to hear that he actually has more sacks than a number of bigger stars. With 46, he has more career sacks than Marcellus Wiley (44), Ray Lewis (41.5), Brian Urlacher (41.5), and Bill Romanowski (39.5). In New England, only four men have more sacks than Ninkovich. Those are Andre Tippett (100), Willie McGinest (78), Chris Slade (51), and Mike Vrabel (48).

It’s interesting to note the similarities in #50 over the Bill Belichick era in New England. Vrabel had the reigns from 2001-2008, while Ninkovich took over from 2009-2016. Both were huge on the field, but their locker room presence was just as valuable. The younger guys on New England’s roster over the last few seasons should definitely be able to take some lessons from the retiring star.

The absence of Ninkovich likely means Kony Ealy is projected to start now. New England will be counting on him and other younger players, like Trey Flowers and Derek Rivers, to set the edge and pass rush.

Next: The Patriots path to Super Bowl LII

Here at Chowder & Champions, we wish nothing but the best for Rob Ninkovich going forward. We won’t be surprised to one day see him inducted into the New England Patriots Hall of Fame at Patriots Place. Let us know your thoughts on the Ninkovich retirement on Twitter @CandCFansided!

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