As was expected, the Patriots announced the retirement of long-time left tackle Matt Light earlier today.
While Light is only 33, not old by NFL standards, he’s walking away from the game for noble reasons, saying,
“I’ve got a daughter that’s 10 and I’ve got two boys that are knuckleheads. They need a lot of guidance and a lot more time. One of these things that was apparent over the last few seasons was it takes a lot longer to recover the older you get. It took a lot to give more than a hug and a ‘Good morning’ to my family.”
Light spent all 11 of his seasons in the NFL with the New England Patriots serving as an anchor for Tom Brady’s blindside. In those 11 seasons, Light started 153 games, missing only 23 regular season starts in that span.
Matt Light, along with many other linemen, helped the Patriots rise to prominence in the early part of the 2000s. While it’s true that he’s not extremely old by NFL standards, it’s also true that he’s experienced great health throughout his career. The 2005 season was the only year that he missed a large portion of the season. He’ll be missed by the Patriots; there’s no doubt about that, but I have to salute a guy for stepping away from the game to preserve his own health and spend more time with his family. Matt Light comes across as a stand-up guy, and he deserves the best of luck in his post-football life.
