When James Develin suffered a few collisions while playing against the Miami Dolphins early last season, he briefly left the field to get evaluated, and then went back in. The hits were a part of his tough job as a fullback, but this time, he could not shake the pain he was feeling.
In an interview with The Athletic’s Jeff Howe, the former Patriots fullback went into detail about the “unforeseen complications” that led him to announce his retirement on Monday. Doctors discovered that Develin had a “muscle and disc issue within his neck and upper back,” as well as an “underlying” spine issue.