Signed as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Georgia in 2015, center David Andrews … [+] started 121 games for the New England Patriots. (Photo by Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
A run that began as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Georgia has come to an end in Foxborough.
The New England Patriots announced the release of veteran center David Andrews on Thursday, as ESPN’s Mike Reiss first reported.
Andrews, 32, saw his final season with the organization conclude on injured reserve after four games due to shoulder surgery. An eight-time captain and Super Bowl LI and LIII champion, he started 121 of his 124 appearances after outlasting the NFL’s 53-man roster deadline in 2015.
“Look, I know this is a tough business. The organization might come to me and tell me it’s time to move on,” Andrews told reporters of his shoulder rehab in January after the Patriots finished 4-13 for the second consecutive year. “I might get into OTAs or training camp and know I can’t do it. And if the organization decides to go a different way, that’s their choice. I hope that’s not the case. I want to play football. I’ve done this for 26 years and I’d like to make it to 27 and see where it goes from there. But I’m just taking it day by day. That’s all I can do. I got a long road. Been through it before, so I know what it’s going to take.”
A member of the latest Patriots All-Decade team, Andrews held the longest tenure left on the offensive side of the ball. A total of 7,830 snaps were logged there dating back to his rookie year as quarterback Tom Brady’s protector at the pivot spot. He twice became an ironman during former head coach Bill Belichick’s reign, handling 100% of the downs for the line both in 2016 and 2023.
The career with New England would also feature ten starts in the playoffs for Andrews, who was retained on a four-year, $19 million contract after testing unrestricted free agency in 2021. A restructure followed in 2022.
The past Ron Burton Community Service Award recipient went on to sign a one-year extension that included $8 million fully guaranteed last May before Jerod Mayo’s time as head coach became Mike Vrabel’s.
Andrews was scheduled to earn a base salary of $4 million to go with a cap charge of $6.676 million in 2025, according to OverTheCap.com. His departure leaves the center depth chart standing with October additions Ben Brown and Lecitus Smith as well as Cole Strange, a former starting left guard and No. 29 overall pick.
But there won’t be a one-for-one replacement for a pillar.
“David Andrews’ career success is a shining example of what every NFL prospect should strive to achieve,” Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in a statement on Thursday. “As a rookie free agent, David earned a starting assignment at center in his NFL debut, a position he anchored for the next decade. His leadership, work ethic, and dedication to the team earned him the respect and admiration of his coaches and teammates, who elected him as an eight-time team captain. The importance of his leadership during his career cannot be overstated.
“David is a true professional, and his impact on this organization will be felt for many years to come. On behalf of the entire Kraft family and the New England Patriots, I want to express my deepest gratitude for his countless contributions, and we look forward to celebrating his remarkable career.”
