Jared Veldheer reportedly has change of heart, will retire
According to a source named in a new report, recently-acquired offensive lineman Jared Veldheer plans to leave the Patriots and retire from the NFL.
Barely a week into his official tenure with the New England Patriots, it appears that veteran offensive lineman Jared Veldheer has had a change of heart. Citing sources, ESPN’s Mike Reiss claimed Tuesday afternoon that Veldheer intends to retire from the NFL after nine seasons in the league.
Veteran OT Jared Veldheer has informed the Patriots that he plans to retire, per a source.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) May 21, 2019
Veldheer previously had played for the Oakland Raiders (who drafted him in 2010), the Arizona Cardinals, and the Denver Broncos. He was acquired by the Patriots this offseason to provide depth and experience at left tackle, as last year’s starter (Trent Brown) departed for a hefty payday with the Raiders in free agency.
With Veldheer set to move on, the left tackle position once again becomes an area of relative need and weakness for New England. For seven seasons, the Patriots relied on Colorado product Nate Solder to protect Tom Brady’s blindside on offense. After the conclusion of the 2017 season, Solder left for the New York Giants, signing what was then the richest contract for an offensive lineman ever.
As a result, Bill Belichick and the Patriots front office drafted Georgia lineman Isaiah Wynn with their first pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Wynn was expected to potentially replace Solder, but after a torn Achilles ended his rookie season prematurely, former San Francisco 49er Trent Brown assumed the starting left tackle role.
A relative disappointment in the Bay Area, Brown was rock-solid in pass protection last year, grading out as one of the better players at his position. He started in all 16 regular season games and three postseason games for the Patriots, stabilizing what is arguably the most important piece of the offensive line in the process.
Brown was so good, in fact, that he signed a four-year, $66 million contract with the Raiders this offseason, taking Solder’s title as the NFL’s new highest-paid lineman.
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Veldheer’s addition to the Patriots was about more than just an insurance policy if Wynn couldn’t start Week 1; in reality, Veldheer was considered a capable starter worthy of potentially beating out Wynn and 2019 rookie draft pick Yodny Cajuste to play on the team’s first-string offense. Now that he appears to be headed out the door, it just adds all the more pressure on Wynn and Cajuste to be ready contributors by September.