The New England Patriots 2x Super Bowl Champion and longest-tenured offensive player, center David Andrews‘ 2024 campaign was cut short due to injury. Andrews suffered a torn rotator cuff in Week 4 against the San Francisco 49ers with the option to play through the injury and possibly jeopardize his chances of playing in 2025 or undergo season-ending surgery. Ultimately, he chose the latter, and the Patriots placed him on season-ending injured reserve.
Also Read: New England Patriots: 2-Time Super Bowl Champion Expected to Undergo Season-Ending Surgery
The New England Patriots center faced an uncertain future
Given his age—he turns 33 in July—recent injury history, him contemplating retirement last offseason, his contract, and the direction the Patriots are going, David Andrews faced an uncertain future in Foxborough. Andrews enters the final year of his 2-year, $12 million contract. He is scheduled to earn a $4 million base salary along with a $6,676,471 cap hit.
New England Patriots announce fate of 2x Super Bowl Champion
According to Mike Reiss of ESPN NFL Nation, the Patriots will release David Andrews today. As a result, the front office frees up $2,676,471 in cap space and incurs a $4 million dead cap hit in 2025.
News story: Patriots making a change at center, with plans to release franchise pillar and 8-time captain David Andrews today, per sources.
Andrews is recovering from shoulder surgery. If he decides to retire, the expectation is that the team would host a ceremony for him to…
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) March 13, 2025
As Reiss points out, if Andrews were to retire, the Patriots would hold a retirement ceremony commemorating him for his hard work and contribution to the city. The eight-time captain had a great ten-year NFL career in Foxborough, playing 124 regular season and 12 postseason games, including winning two Super Bowls.
Here’s a look at the Patriots’ center position
- Cole Strange
- Ben Brown
- Lecitus Smith
Since the Patriots are weak at the center position, they could be in the market for one in free agency. Although most of the top centers have signed elsewhere, Andre James is the best available. Another option is to acquire one via trade, i.e., Garrett Bradbury. Finally, they could address the position in the draft.
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