Former Patriots RB Rex Burkhead announces retirement after 10 seasons in NFL

After ten NFL seasons, veteran running back Rex Burkhead is ending his career.

The running back, who played for the Bengals, Patriots, and Texans in the past, announced his retirement on Instagram on Monday. He did not participate in the previous season.

“I’ve been blessed to be able to play the game of football for 26 years and looking back there are many people I would like to thank,” Burkhead wrote on Twitter.

“To all my coaches, strength coaches, trainers, doctors, ownership, and other staff thank you for the opportunities to live out my childhood dream and making sure I was performing to the bets of my abilities. It was a privilege to go to work every day with you all.”

Burkhead played his first four seasons in Cincinnati after being drafted by the Bengals in 2013. Following his 2017 arrival, Burkhead became a significant member of the New England Patriots. In his first three years, he established himself as a dependable dual-threat back for Tom Brady. With the Patriots, Burkhead was a part of the winning team in Super Bowl LIII. He ran for 43 yards on seven rushes and caught two catches for 15 yards.

Burkhead played two seasons for the Texans after joining them in 2021. In his rookie season in Houston, he started five games, a career high, and was a member of an RB room that included Mark Ingram, Royce Freeman, Phillip Lindsay, and David Johnson. Houston selected Dameon Pierce in the next round, which caused Burkhead’s position on a 3-13-1 Texans squad to decline.

In his final season, the 33-year-old scored 1,908 yards on 488 carries, 17 touchdowns on the ground, and 1,534 yards and nine touchdowns on 192 receptions.