The retirement of Troy Brown dominates this morning's headlines as the greatest receiver in franchise history put an end to his 15-year career Thursday during a press conference at Gillette Stadium.
“I will always be a Patriot, just not in uniform,” Brown told the Boston Globe.
Labeled as the ultimate Patriot, Brown holds the franchise record for most career receptions and is second to Wes Welkeron the list for single-season catches with 101 in 2001.
“Nobody thought Troy could go deep. Nobody thought he could make the big plays. But all he did was make plays,” head coach Bill Belichick told the Providence Journal.
Brown also spent time as a nickelback on defense toward the end of his career when the Patriots were thin in the secondary.
“It is hard sometimes to just let it go, but I know at the end of the day I played this game the way it was supposed to be played and that's doing whatever it takes to win the game,” Brown told the MetroWest Daily News.
Brown had a chance to sign with the New York Jets, but decided he'd rather retire a Patriot.
“The colors weren’t right,” Brown told the Boston Herald.
While he wishes he could still play, Brown feels now is the time to move on with his life.
"I would give anything in the world to put on those pads again," Brown told the Attleboro Sun Chronicle.
Brown cited his age (36) as a factor in the move.
"You can't outrun Father Time, as hard as you try to do it," Brown told the Brockton Enterprise.
In other news, the offensive line is taking responsibility for Sunday's loss to Miami in which quarterback Matt Casselfaced a surplus of pressure from the Dolphins' defense.
“There are other times where it’s not as good as we would like it to be or each individual would like it to be,” Belichick told the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.
Running back Laurence Maroneycould be closer to returning from his shoulder injury after practicing in full pads Thursday.
“It actually felt better than what I thought, so hopefully it will stay the same,” Maroney told the Globe.
Maroney is frustrated that he's been hurt so much, but is looking forward to contributing in the coming weeks.
“People don’t like being hurt. It ain’t something we try to do, it’s just the nature of the game,” Maroney told the Herald.
