Patriots Rookie Dustin Woodard Abruptly Retires After Signing 4-Year, $3M Deal; Not COVID-19 Related

This is something you don’t see everyday.

According to NFL insider Tom Pelissero — New England Patriots rookie Dustin Woodard has decided to randomly call it a career before he ever laced up and played a game. Per the report, the decision to walk away is not related to COVID-19.

Woodard was drafted 230th overall by the Patriots in the seventh-round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year, $3.397 million deal with the team.

#Patriots rookie center Dustin Woodard is retiring, source said. The seventh-round pick from Memphis’ decision isn’t COVID-19 related — he’s simply decided to walk away.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 13, 2020

During his time at Memphis — Woodard started 52 of 54 games for the Tigers, a school record for an offensive lineman.