Patriots Safety Patrick Chung Announces Retirement

After 12 years in the league, longtime Patriots safety Patrick Chung is retiring from the NFL.

Chung, 33, announced his retirement in an Instagram post on Thursday morning.

"I want to say thank you to the Patriots organization, my family, my fans, coaches, just everyone. I'm in tears writing this but I've decided to hang up the cleats," Chung wrote. "Bill, Mr. Kraft (mean mug) thank you for giving me the opportunity to play for your team for 11 years. I love you."

Chung spent 11 of his 12 NFL seasons with the Patriots organization after the team selected him in the second round of the 2009 NFL draft. He left New England in 2013, spending one season with the Eagles, before returning to the Patriots for the remainder of his career.

As a contributor to the Patriots' long-term success, Chung was a member of the 2014, 2016 and 2018 Super Bowl–winning teams. Coach Bill Belichick often praised Chung's physical playing style, with the veteran safety averaging 15 games per season from 2014–19.

Chung opted out of the 2020 season due to concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He finishes his career with 778 combined tackles, 11 interceptions and 4.5 sacks.

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