Patriots Release David Andrews; Center Won 2 Super Bowls and Named Captain 8x

The New England Patriots released longtime starting center David Andrews, Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft announced on Thursday:

"David Andrews' career success is a shining example of what every NFL prospect should strive to achieve. As a rookie free agent, David earned a starting assignment at center in his NFL debut, a position he anchored for the next decade. His leadership, work ethic, and dedication to the team earned him the respect and admiration of his coaches and teammates, who elected him as an eight-time team captain. The importance of his leadership during his career cannot be overstated. David is a true professional, and his impact on this organization will be felt for many years to come. On behalf of the entire Kraft family and the New England Patriots, I want to express my deepest gratitude for his countless contributions, and we look forward to celebrating his remarkable career."

ESPN's Mike Reiss first reported the Patriots' plan on Thursday morning.

Andrews, 32, has spent his entire 10-year NFL career with the Pats, starting 121 of the 124 games he has appeared in.

In addition to being named a captain eight times, Andrews helped the Patriots win the Super Bowl in both 2016 and 2018, starting all 16 regular-season games and all three playoff games in each campaign.

Andrews, who was the Patriots' longest-tenured active player along with long snapper Joe Cardona, is expected to be honored by the Pats with a retirement ceremony should he decide to retire rather than pursue opportunities with other teams.

Despite having a successful college career at Georgia, Andrews went undrafted in 2015, and he signed with the Patriots as a free agent.

Andrews started 11 of the 14 games he appeared in as an undrafted rookie in 2015, and he never looked back, as he started all 110 games he played from 2016 through 2024.

While Andrews has never been named a Pro Bowler or an All-Pro, he has anchored the New England offensive line for years, and he built a strong rapport with legendary quarterback Tom Brady before Brady left to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020.

Although Andrews didn't miss any games in 2021 or 2023, he has dealt with his fair share of injuries and ailments over the past several years.

Andrews missed the entire 2019 campaign due to a pulmonary embolism, plus he missed four games in 2020 and three games in 2022.

Last season, Andrews landed on injured reserve after just four games due to a shoulder injury, and he did not return to action.

Andrews' NFL future is now somewhat unclear, but he departs New England as one of the all-time great offensive linemen in Patriots history.

In terms of games played, Andrews is eighth on the Pats' all-time list among offensive linemen, and with a Pro Football Reference approximate value of 56, he is the 51st-most-valuable player in team history.

As of now, the top returning center on New England's roster is Ben Brown, who started 10 games in place of Andrews last season.

However, Cole Strange could potentially make a full-time move to center in 2025 despite primarily playing guard to start his career.

Regardless of what the Patriots do on that front, interior offensive line figures to be an area of focus during the upcoming 2025 NFL draft, especially since the Pats have already made several key additions to the defense in free agency.