Patriots release veteran OT Veldheer

The New England Patriots have released veteran offensive tackle Jared Veldheer off the injured-reserve/retired list, according to a report Tuesday by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Veldheer, who announced his retirement in May just a week after signing with the Patriots, is reportedly "in shape" and looking to be a late-season addition to a team in need of an offensive lineman, according to Rapoport.

In an interview earlier this summer on MLive.com, 32-year-old Veldheer said he chose to retire due to the toll that injuries have taken on his body, including a hip issue. "When March rolled around, I thought I could give it a go, but once I went out there to do actual football stuff, the hip felt exactly how it did at the end of the season," he said in June. "There was just no way I was going to put my body through that. I couldn't conceive even trying to make my body do that."

Veldheer joined the Patriots in May as a free agent, signing a reported one-year, $3.5 million deal worth up to $6.5 million with incentives. A nine-year veteran, Veldheer started 12 games at right tackle for the Denver Broncos last season after being acquired via trade, allowing just one sack but committing seven penalties.

He spent the previous four years with the Arizona Cardinals, playing primarily left tackle before moving to the right side in 2017. A third-round pick of the Oakland Raiders in 2010, Veldheer made 113 career starts in 118 games, with the majority at left tackle. 

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)