The Athletic's Chad Graff is leaving the Minnesota Vikings beat

Graff has covered Minnesota sports for the past ten years.

Chad Graff is returning to his roots on the East Coast to cover the New England Patriots for The Athletic, meaning his time on the Minnesota Vikings beat is over. 

Graff announced his decision Monday morning, saying he'll begin covering the Patriots next week. 

"I have to confess, though — this wasn’t an easy decision. Minnesota has meant so much to my wife and me. It’s where we became adults and where we spent the entirety of our 20s. It’s where we bought our first house. It’s where we made life-long friends," Graff, who grew up a Patriots fan, wrote. 

He said it is "the only job that could have pried us away from Minnesota."

This past June, Chad and Samantha hosted a charity golf tournament in the name of their firstborn daughter, Ana Rose, who died from a rare chromosome disorder. The event raised more than $33,300 for the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital. 

Arif Hassan will continue to cover the Vikings for The Athletic.