Benjamin Watson 'Probably' Retiring After Failed Super Bowl Run with Patriots
When veteran tight end Benjamin Watson said he would return to the NFL last offseason after retiring, he made it clear he would only return for the "right" situation. In the end, that situation ended up being the New England Patriots, who drafted him in the first round of the 2004 NFL draft, were in desperate need of help at the TE position following Rob Gronkowski's retirement, and were supposed to compete for a championship in the 2019 season.
While Watson chose New England as the team to return from retirement for, the road for him to produce with the Patriots was much more complicated.
After serving a four-game suspension at the start of the regular season, Watson was not activated by the Patriots by the Oct. 7 deadline, which made him a free agent. After an offseason, preseason and four weeks of regular-season preparation for the 38-year-old tight end, Watson found himself in Week 5 with no team to play for after putting in the work to return to the NFL.
Just when it seemed like his career was over yet again, the Patriots re-signed Watson one week later. While head coach Bill Belichick claimed a week prior that New England simply didn't have a roster spot for him, the team's Week 6 win over the Giants spotlighted a glaring weakness at TE for the Patriots, one of which could be partially remedied by signing an experienced, talented former first-round pick. So once again, Watson was a Patriot and had an opportunity to produce for the reigning Super Bowl champions.
When all was said and done, Watson's impact on the Patriots offense wasn't significant, but was nevertheless felt. In 10 games, he had 17 receptions on 24 targets for 173 yards and zero touchdowns. In the first round of the playoffs he had 38 yards on three catches vs. the Titans.
While producing, albeit in a limited role, was fascinating for the veteran playing in his 15th NFL season, what he and the rest of his teammates were playing for this season was not accomplished - winning a championship. That seemed to impact Watson after Saturday's night's loss to Tennessee as he told reporters in the locker room he would "probably" retire at age 38.
“I love this game, but there’s a time when you have to move on," a teary-eyed Watson told NESN. "So, definitely won’t be back here next year. Probably. And probably won’t be playing at all. It's something I've tried to do before and it didn't work. But there's only so much your body can take and so much you want to put your family through.
"We're going to talk about it, of course, and make family decisions. But it's been a great run and it's been really special to be back here."
Watson will end his career with 547 receptions for 6,058 yards and 44 touchdowns. His longevity in the league is what sticks out the most for a player playing one of the most demanding positions in the sport of football. As a Super Bowl champion that got to start and finish his career with one of the most dominating teams in modern-era sports, Watson's efforts in the 2019 season will not go unnoticed, even if his efforts weren't quite what the Patriots needed to make more of their season.
