As the Patriots begin to ramp up preparations for the 2018 regular season, it will be done without wide receiver Eric Decker, who retired on Sunday.
The 31-year-old, who struggled to acclimate after signing in New England on Aug. 3, chose to call time on his eight-year NFL career.
Decker’s exit only further underscores an existing question mark for the Patriots: Who will step up in the receiving corps? Fellow veterans Jordan Matthews and Kenny Britt (as well as Super Bowl LI winner Malcolm Mitchell) have also been cut.
The possibility of another acquisition, whether via trade or free agency, has been speculated over with frequency.