Patriots special teams ace announces retirement

According to a post by Cody Davis in his X account, the former Texas Tech standout announced his intention to retire from the league. He posted a bible verse:

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” -2 Timothy 4:7,” Davis posted.

Davis has been a staple on the New England Patriots special teams since 2020

The St. Louis Rams signed Davis as an undrafted free agent following the 2013 NFL Draft. He spent time with the Jacksonville Jaguars before he signed with the Patriots in 2020. Davis recorded 118 total tackles and two interceptions in his career.

He was known for his play on special teams. Davis’s retirement comes a few days after the league changed its kickoff rules. It’s unclear if the new rule caused Davis to rethink his career.

The rules on special teams are changing

NFL teams have less of an incentive to pay for special teams players when they change the rules like they did this week. Older special teams veterans might rethink going through the brutality of training camp, knowing it might be harder for them to make the final roster.