Vince Wilfork Signs Patriots Contract to Officially Retire with Franchise

Vince Wilfork signed a one-day contract with the New England Patriots to officially retire with the team for which he played his first 11 years in the NFL.

NBC Boston's Raul Martinez shared a video of Wilfork signing the contract and holding a Patriots jersey with team owner Robert Kraft:

Wilfork announced his retirement Monday:

Wilfork told reporters he still feels fine physically but that he didn't think he could handle the mental stress of another season in the NFL, according to NFL Network's James Palmer.

Wilfork praised Patriots coach Bill Belichick for finding ways to keep him motivated, with the lineman saying he "didn't want to let [Belichick] down, per WEEI's Ryan Hannable:

Both Wilfork and Belichick had fun talking about the former's playing weight:

During his prime years with the Patriots, Wilfork was one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL. He made five Pro Bowls in New England and was a first-team All-Pro in 2012. The 35-year-old also helped the Patriots reach the playoffs on 10 occasions and win two Super Bowls before moving to the Texans in 2015.

While Wilfork accomplished almost everything he could on the field, he said Wednesday he still felt his NFL career will never be complete since his parents weren't able to see it. His mother, Barbara, died in December 2002, six months after his father, David Sr., died.

"They didn't get a chance to see their son live out a dream," he said, per Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith. "Physically, that hurt every day—by the hour, daily. Not a minute goes by. But I know they had the best seat in the house. Thank you, David and Barbara Wilfork."