It’s the end of an era for the New England Patriots. On Thursday, news broke that the team was cutting longtime captain David Andrews.
Less than an hour later, the Patriots released a statement confirming the decision to part ways with the man who held down the middle of the offensive line for years in Foxborough.
Here’s Patriots chairman Robert Kraft’s full statement on the move:
“David Andrews’ career success is a shining example of what every NFL prospect should strive to achieve. As a rookie free agent, David earned a starting assignment at center in his NFL debut, a position he anchored for the next decade. His leadership, work ethic, and dedication to the team earned him the respect and admiration of his coaches and teammates, who elected him as an eight-time team captain. The importance of his leadership during his career cannot be overstated. David is a true professional, and his impact on this organization will be felt for many years to come. On behalf of the entire Kraft family and the New England Patriots, I want to express my deepest gratitude for his countless contributions, and we look forward to celebrating his remarkable career.”
Andrews landed with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent out of Georgia in 2015. Considered to be undersized for an NFL center, Andrews defied the odds and worked his way onto the field almost immediately in New England.
Andrews quickly took over the center position, snapping the ball to Tom Brady and went on to win two Super Bowls during his 10 seasons in New England.
The 32-year-old center has long been the internal anchor and control tower for the Patriots' offensive line, making Thursday’s news a bit of a shock in the big picture.
Andrews missed most of last season after tearing his rotator cuff. Given the injury and his age, there could be concerns about his performance moving forward. Apparently, it was enough for the team to move in another direction.
After the 2024 season, Andrews spoke to reporters and publicly stated that he’d like to return to the Patriots in 2024, but admitted the team might not feel the same way.
“I know this is a tough business. The organization might come to me and tell me it’s time to move on,” Andrews said on Jan. 6. “I might get into OTAs and training camp and know I can’t do it. If the organization decides to go in a different way, that’s their choice. I hope that’s not the case. I want to play football. I’ve done this for a long 26 years. I’d like to make it to 27 and see where it goes from there. I’m just taking it day by day. That’s all I can do. I’ve got a long road. Been through it before so I know what it’s going to take, and I’m going to try to do it.”
With Andrews cut, the Patriots will now have to rebuild the interior of their offensive line. The most likely replacement for Andrews is Cole Strange, who moved to center after returning from injury last season.
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