While it wasn’t quite the story book ending, it appears likely that Kevin Faulk will retire this offseason. The longest tenured of the New England Patriots, Faulk has been with the team since 1999, the year before Bill Belichick arrived and Tom Brady was drafted.
“I just feel real bad for guys like Kevin, trying to go [off] into the sunset,” said cornerback Kyle Arrington said.
Faulk was approached immediately after the game, but he indicated that it wasn’t the right time to talk about his plans. He didn’t play in the game at all, and has been used sparingly this season, but he has been a leader and a mentor in the locker room.
Rookie running back Shane Vereen cited Faulk as having the biggest impact on his education through his first year in the NFL. “Working with Kevin Faulk has really opened my eyes,” Vereen said. “His work ethic is on a whole other level. Learning how hard he works has helped me a lot.”
Even going into what may have been his last game, Faulk was all about preparation. As he said on media day prior to the Super Bowl, when asked if he picked up tips from preparation from years past, Faulk said, “Of course, and that goes organizationally, that goes players, coaches… you always have to. You’re always going to learn something different.”
The bulk of the Patriots carries this season went to unrestricted free agent BenJarvus Green-Ellis, the 26-year-old running back who led the team with 667 rushing yards. The team has three other young running backs who are all under contract for next year – Danny Woodhead (who had 351 rushing yards), Steven Ridley (who had 441 rushing yards) and Vereen, who had 57 rushing yards, equaling Faulk’s output this season.
Green-Ellis is 26 years old, Woodhead is 27, and Ridley and Vereen are 23 and 22 respectively. That’s a lot of young talent, and there just haven’t been many carries left Faulk, the old pro at 35, coming off an ACL tear last season.
Faulk has had an exceptional career, and won 3 Super Bowls with the Patriots. He has 3,607 yards rushing and 3,701 yards receiving over his career, along with over 5,000 yards in punt and kickoff returns. He has been a solid performer in all phases of the game, and a great locker room leader – one of the great character guys in the NFL.
Patriots guard Brian Waters is also contemplating retirement after 12 seasons according to the Boston Herald. When Waters was asked about his future he said, “I don’t know. I’m going to take two or three weeks and figure it out but it’s been a great ride for me, no matter what decision I make. But I’m going to take my time.”
