Patriots' David Andrews Announces Return for 2020 Season After Blood Clots

David Andrews is returning to football. 

The New England Patriots center, who missed the entire 2019 season with blood clots, announced Thursday he has been cleared to play:

Patriots quarterback Jarrett Stidham—presumably the team's starter, at least for the moment—was happy to hear the news that Andrews would be returning to the team:

It was originally believed Andrews had pneumonia over the summer before blood clots were found in his lungs. He said they were diagnosed in a "freak accident," per Mike Reiss of ESPN.

Andrews, 27, has made 68 total starts for the Pats (57 in the regular season, 11 in the playoffs). He served as a team captain between 2017-19. That his teammates voted him captain in 2019 after it was learned he would miss the entire season spoke loudly to the respect he garnered in the locker room. 

"When he speaks, we all listen," head coach Bill Belichick said in December, per Zack Cox of NESN.

Getting Andrews back is big news for a Pats team that lost Ted Karras in free agency this season. The team, which traded out of the first round Thursday night, could also bolster the offensive line in the middle rounds, with five picks available in Rounds 2 and 3 and eight picks available for Rounds 4-7.