The Patriots released wide receiver Chad Ochocinco on Thursday after reportedly spending the day trying — and failing — to find a trade partner.
Ochocinco was one of the top receivers in the NFL, but had only one short and disappointing season in New England. Anticipation was high when he joined the Patriots to see if he could have a Randy Moss-like resurgence working with All World quarterback Tom Brady. Instead, Ochocinco was never really a factor in the Patriots offense and seemed to never fully be on the same page with Brady, Welker and the rest of the P-Men.
He had only 15 receptions for 276 yards last season, never catching more than 2 balls in any game all season. This followed a 2010 year, his last in Cincinnati, where he caught 67 balls for 831 yards. Prior to 2010, he had over 1,000 yards in seven out of eight consecutive seasons and was a six time Pro Bowl selection.
Ochocinco currently has 766 receptions for 11,059 yards in his 12 year career. He is currently 26th all time in receptions, just 1 catch behind Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk, and he is also 26th all time in receiving yardage.
He could still catch on with another team, but at age 34 with a significant drop off the last two years, he will have a hard time finding a new team for next season.
His numbers might not be Hall of Fame materials (there’s a backlog of top receivers still trying to get into the HOF, including Andre Reed who is 12th in receiving yards and 10th in receptions). But Ochocinco’s larger than life personality always put him in a league by himself.
Check out the video below for some of the Best of Chad, but be warned… some of the language is far from PG.
