New England Patriots: 5 players who could retire after Super Bowl LIII

Sam Minton

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JANUARY 28: Rob Gronkowski #87 of the New England Patriots talks to the media during Super Bowl LIII Opening Night at State Farm Arena on January 28, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

The New England Patriots can’t avoid the inevitable and could be missing some serious players when the 2019 NFL season kicks off.

The Super Bowl is a very happy time for football fans. Especially if your team is in the big game, but for New England Patriots fans the moment seems bittersweet.

New England isn’t the young guns that have taken over the NFL kingdom. They are the old guard who has shown what a dynasty truly looks like.

More from Chowder and Champions

We have seen rookies turn into veterans. We have seen players grew into stars right in front of our eyes. Now some of our favorite players are nearing the day where they will hang up their cleats and leave the game for good.

There is one good thing to come out of all of this retirement talk. Tom Brady has made it crystal clear that he will be coming back next season and for probably a few more after that.

I don’t know what I will do when Brady does decide to retire. It will definitely be a sad day because that will be the sign that our amazing success will be coming to an end.

But Brady hasn’t been the only player that has had to deal with retirement rumors. Multiple Patriots have had to answer questions about if they think they will be returning next season.

So let’s take a look at 5 New England Patriots players who could retire after Super Bowl LIII.

1. Rob Gronkowski

If you watched Rob Gronkowski this season you were stunned at times with how poorly he played. At this point, it would be more of a shock if Gronkowski didn’t retire after the Super Bowl.

Gronkowski was a shell of his former self this season. He struggled to get open and once again missed time due to injuries.

In 13 games, Gronkowski had 47 catches for 682 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Rob Gronkowski used to be a major factor in New England’s offense. This season the team proved that they don’t need Gronk. They have plenty of other weapons on offense.

In the Patriots first game of the season, Gronkowski found the end zone after that Gronk failed to reach the end zone until Week 12.

FanSided 250

Fansided250 Logo

Where does your fandom rank?

See 2019 Rankings

So even though Rob Gronkowski was an amazing wide receiver the Super Bowl will probably be the last game of his NFL career.

2. Devin McCourty

New England Patriots fans have watched Devin McCourty grow right in front of their own eyes. McCourty has been a key part of the Patriots secondary for many years.

When I thought of players who may retire soon McCourty never came up in my head. He has been playing well and is loved in the locker room. All of that changed on Super Bowl Opening Night.

McCourty was asked if he thought about retiring and he said that he doesn’t know yet, but it would be amazing to go out like this. McCourty has the opportunity to win a Super Bowl with his twin brother Jason. It can’t get much better than that.

I think that there is a good chance that the New England Patriots win yet another Super Bowl. So it is pretty likely that Devin McCourty walks off into the sunset, and his brother may join him.

3. Jason McCourty

This has been the season that Jason McCourty has dreamed of ever since he entered the NFL. He is playing with his twin brother, finally reached the playoffs, and now has a chance to get a Super Bowl ring.

McCourty has played really well with the Patriots. He has been a perfect No.2 corner to complement Stephon Gilmore and has been able to shut some guys down.

Now if Devin McCourty leaves I think Jason will join him. There is nothing left for McCourty to prove. If the New England Patriots were to win a Super Bowl it would be a season that exceeded all of Jason’s expectations.

Also, McCourty is 31 years old. He doesn’t have a lot of good years left in him. 30 years old is when players start to breakdown. Honestly, it makes a lot of sense for Jason McCourty to retire. Especially if Devin decides to leave.

4. Dont’a Hightower

Dont’a Hightower grew to be one of the New England Patriots best linebackers, but now his days seem numbered.

This season Hightower looked very slow and was incapable of keeping up with players. We saw plenty of players just blow right by the linebacker.

5. Stephen Gostkowski

These last few seasons haven’t been great for Stephen Gostkowski. With the kicker being 35 years old he may leave the team after this season.

Gostkowski is still a capable NFL kicker but he is far from the stud he was early on in his career. Way too many times we have seen Gostkowski miss short field goals and even extra points.

If the Patriots win it just makes sense for Gostkowski to retire. He is an old kicker who has seen better days. Gostkowski is no Adam Vinatieri.

Gostkowski has plenty of rings and has even made 4 pro bowl teams. There really isn’t any more you can prove as a kicker.

So as you can see there are some major pieces who may be hanging up their cleats for good after the Super Bowl. The New England Patriots will have a lot of work to do in the offseason.

Sam Minton

Sam Minton is a graduate of Salem State University where he majored in Communications with a concentration in Journalism. He is a passionate sports fan with his favorite teams being the Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, New England Patriots, New England Revolution and New York Yankees.