Former New Orleans Saints tight end Benjamin Watson is calling it a career after finishing things where they started, with the New England Patriots. Watson announced his retirement from his official Twitter account, thanking each of the teams he played for during a lengthy NFL career — the Saints, Patriots, Cleveland Browns, and Baltimore Ravens among them.
Watson initially retired last offseason before the Patriots recruited him for one last run, replacing the also-retired Rob Gronkowski (who is now pursuing a career as a professional wrestler). But it appears that he’s hung his cleats up for good this time.
Watson spent a total of four years in two stints with the Saints, first as a veteran compliment and mentor to Jimmy Graham from 2013 to 2015, and a brief return as the leading tight end in 2018. All told, Watson’s time with the Saints resulted in 148 receptions for 1,587 yards and a dozen touchdown catches. Not bad for someone who didn’t even wear black and gold until after his 33rd birthday.
So here’s to a fulfilling retirement for Watson and his family. He’s still a member of the NFL Players Association’s executive committee, along with former Saints teammate Thomas Morstead, so he won’t quite be retreating from public life. It’ll be fascinating to see which career path he chooses next.
