FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Veteran tight end Benjamin Watson said Thursday that he began having second thoughts about his retirement about a month ago, but he was only willing to return for a 16th season with a few teams.
That list was headlined by the New Orleans Saints and New England Patriots.
Watson signed a one-year, $3 million deal with the Patriots on May 9, and the 38-year-old is now one of the top options to potentially help fill the void created by Rob Gronkowski's retirement.
Watson called Gronkowski a "fabulous player" whom he has watched for years, but said Gronkowski's retirement wasn't a catalyst for him to change his mind.