Vince Wilfork will not be returning with the New England Patriots under his current contract. The outsized defensive tackle released a statement Thursday saying the team had declined to pick up the option after the first season of his deal.
Vince Wilfork says Patriots won’t pick up his option
The Patriots declined to pick up Vince Wilfork’s option for two more years, letting go of the team’s second-longest tenured player behind Tom Brady.
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Before the 2014 season, Wilfork and the Patriots were at odds in the negotiation process over contract restructuring. Wilfork reportedly asked for his release, before agreeing to a one-year, $8 million deal that included an option for two more seasons that could have brought the total value of the deal to $22.5 million.
By letting Wilfork go, the Patriots will save $7.1 million on the 2015 salary cap, according to Patriots blog Pats Pulpit. If the team had picked up his option by the start of the new league year on March 10, it could only save $3.1 million against the cap, making a quick decision necessary.
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Wilfork was the Patriots' second-longest tenured player, behind only quarterback Tom Brady. He doesn't appear to harbor any ill feelings toward the team about the decision. In his statement, Wilfork praised the organization, the fans and his teammates, and called head coach Bill Belichick "the greatest head coach ever!"
You can read the full statement below:
Morning guys ... Please read below this will be my only statement pic.twitter.com/gClv03hqet
— Vince Wilfork (@wilfork75) March 5, 2015 Wilfork spoke with SB Nation in January, and described the pain he went through during the negotiation process before the 2014 season. Wilfork suffered a torn Achilles tendon that held him out of most of the 2013 season, and was sure he was going to be released. As he explained to Thomas George: “Oh yeah, it sure looked like for a minute that my Patriots time was up. I got way too personal in it. I took everything involved in those talks way too personal. But this is where I am supposed to be.”
If the two sides hadn't been able to strike deal, we may have never received this wonderful footage of Wilfork smoking meat and shaking his butt. And the Patriots would have missed out on another excellent season from the veteran. Wilfork played 73.6 percent of the team's defensive snaps last season, and accounted for 28 tackles and one very impressive interception.
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Wilfork was named to the Pro Bowl five times with the Patriots, including a first-team All-Pro season in 2012. He was drafted No. 21 overall during the 2004 NFL Draft, winning his first of two Super Bowl rings during his rookie season.
Now 33 years old, Wilfork likely doesn’t have much long-term value left in reserve, but he proved last season that he is still a quality player. He should garner interest on the free agent market, and could potentially return with the Patriots. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reported that the team may be willing to bring Wilfork back, but only at a much cheaper price.
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