Well, this is some bad news for longtime New England Patriots fans.
The team cut one of its legends on Monday: tight end Benjamin Watson.
Watson had been suspended for the first four games of this season for performance enhancing drug use. According to Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, the team had to cut Watson because they didn't have a spot for him on the active roster.
Watson, 38, was drafted by the Patriots in 2004 and played for the team until 2009. Yes, this means he was a part of the team's third ever Super Bowl victory as well as their undefeated 16-0 season.
He's bounced around since then, most recently spending a couple of years with the New Orleans Saints where he was still a productive player; last year, he made 35 catches for 400 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
When Watson got released, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, a former teammate of Watson, gave some thoughts on the whole situation....
“You know, pretty tough,” Brady said. “Pretty tough. I mean, it’s tough for a lot of guys. I’ve played with a lot of guys over the years. You know, Ben’s a great player.
He’s been a great player for this team, for other teams, he’s had an incredible career and hopefully he can keep playing. I know he was looking forward to playing. I miss him. He was right next to me, and for as great as a player he was, he was 10 times a better person, just the highest integrity. I can’t say enough good things about Ben, what he’s meant to me, my family, our team. So we’re going to miss him.”
Well, there you have it. Certainly, it is unfortunate that we probably won't ever see Watson play in another game for the Patriots. Hopefully, he catches on elsewhere...