Tag: Jamie Collins

Former Browns LB Jamie Collins Sr. retires after 12 seasons

Former Browns linebacker Jamie Collins Sr. announces his retirement from the NFL after 12 seasons.

Jamie Collins Sr., the former Cleveland Browns linebacker, announced his retirement from the NFL. The 12-year veteran played the majority of his career with the New England Patriots, where he was drafted and won two Super Bowls. The Cleveland Browns traded for Collins halfway through the 2016 season, and he would spend two more seasons with the Browns after signing a four-year, $50 million contract in 2017. 

Collins had a difficult time with the Browns after signing his extension.  New defensive coordinator Gregg Williams couldn’t find a role for the former Pro Bowler in his 4-3 defense. Collins tore his MCL midway through the 2017 season and finished the season on Injured Reserve. In 2018 Collins was able to return to form as he led the Browns in tackles. The Browns cut Jamie Collins the following offseason. Collins recorded 203 tackles, seven sacks, and two interceptions in his 30 games for the Browns. 

Collins concluded his career with two more stops with the New England Patriots and one with the Detroit Lions. Collins was an exceptional player possessing a rare blend of size and speed. While Collins won’t end up in the Hall of Fame, he did etch his name in the NFL rule book. The linebacker inspired the NFL to change its special teams’ rules to penalize players jumping over the long snapper while attempting to block a kick.

Jamie Collins is not the only former Browns linebacker to announce their retirement this season. Collins’ teammate Christian Kirksey announced his retirement in September.

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Former Patriots LB and Super Bowl XLIX leading-tackler retires

The football playing chapter closed for a former standout Patriots linebacker. Could coaching be next?

Former New England Patriots linebacker Jamie Collins officially retired on Friday.

The 33-year-old former All-Pro defensive player is turning the page on his football career and moving on to the next chapter in his life. It’s a career that should be celebrated considering Collins is one of the most versatile and athletic linebackers coach Bill Belichick ever drafted.

He finished his career with 708 total tackles, 26.5 sacks, 19 forced fumbles and eight interceptions. In only his second year in the league, he led the Patriots with eight tackles to help the team win their fourth championship at Super Bowl XLIX against the Seattle Seahawks.

Collins has mentioned in the past that he would be interested in coaching if the opportunity presented itself.

“Hopefully, y’all will see me back out there with a headset on,” Collins said, when appearing on the Locked On Patriots Podcast. “Never thought I’d be a coach, man, but being around Bill Belichick [and] Jerod Mayo last year, it seems fit. I’ve learned so much from those guys. I can definitely see myself coaching now.”

It would be quite the story to see Collins continue his run in New England as an assistant coach. His knowledge would serve as a major benefit for the next generation of players for the Patriots or any other team for years to come.

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Ranking the 8 greatest prodigal son returns for Patriots

Who were the top former player returns for the Patriots in the Bill Belichick era?

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick likes what he knows.

He isn’t the kind of guy always aiming to reinvent the wheel or create a massive shake-up. If something has worked for him in the past, there’s a good chance he’ll give it another try down the line.

That’s the basic philosophy behind the Patriots’ tendency to bring back past players in a pinch.

New England is a revolving door of past Patriots that have sought opportunities elsewhere, only to return to the same place where they made a name for themselves. In many ways, New England is a place where names are born, leave and come back to be recognized all over again.

Here are the top eight prodigal son returns for the Patriots in the Belichick era.

58 days till Patriots season opener: Every player to wear No. 58 for New England

Here’s a list of every Patriots player to wear the No. 58 jersey number

The countdown continues with the New England Patriots being 58 days away from their regular season opener on September 10.

We’re celebrating by listing every Patriots player that has ever worn the No. 58 jersey throughout franchise history.

Linebacker Anfernee Jennings was the last player to wear the numbers. The former Alabama standout came into the NFL with big shoes to fill considering he took over the number for former All-Pro linebacker Jamie Collins.

There’s no secret that the Patriots love their linebackers, and several that have come during and before the Bill Belichick era have impacted the team in big ways.

Some have even worn No. 58 on their jersey. Here’s every Patriots player that has worn those numbers (via Pro Football Reference):

Former Patriots look back on ridiculously stacked 2014 defense

Defensive lineups don’t get much scarier than this

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It’s easy to forget how ridiculously stacked the New England Patriots were defensively in their 2014 Super Bowl-winning season.

A Twitter post looking back on the unit got a retweet from multiple former Patriots players that were on the roster at that time, including Dont’a Hightower, Jamie Collins, Patrick Chung and James White.

Other standouts included Pro Football Hall of Famer Darrelle Revis, Vince Wilfork, Chandler Jones, Jerod Mayo, Devin McCourty, Logan Ryan, Brandon Browner and Rob Ninkovich.

It’s one of the most imposing defensive lineups on paper in franchise history. Some of the greatest players that have ever suited up in a Patriots uniform were on the roster.

It’s an incredible stroll down memory lane that former Patriots players decided to chime in on.

The Patriots went on to defeat the Seattle Seahawks at Super Bowl XLIX that season.

After Tom Brady and the offense engineered another one of their improbable comebacks, Malcolm Butler, who was an undrafted rookie cornerback at the time, secured a goal line interception on Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson to help the defense seal the victory.

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Former Patriots LB Jamie Collins considering coaching in future plans

Jamie Collins could be the next former Patriots player to wear a coaching headset.

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Former New England Patriots linebacker Jamie Collins Sr. is thinking of staying on the gridiron, but this time, it would be in a different capacity.

Collins wants to become a football coach.

The former All-Pro defensive player spent seven seasons with New England, playing in 79 games and starting 59 of them. He recorded 330 combined tackles and 35 quarterback hits. He most recently played for the organization in 2022, appearing in three games and recording two tackles.

Collins was drafted by the Patriots with the 52nd overall pick in the second-round of the 2013 NFL draft. He also had stops with the Cleveland Browns and the Detroit Lions over the course of his career.

He spoke on the Locked On Patriots podcast last week and discussed his future plans with Mike D’Abate.

“Hopefully, y’all will see me back out there with a headset on,” Collins said during his recent appearance on the Locked On Patriots Podcast. “Never thought I’d be a coach, man, but being around Bill Belichick [and] Jerod Mayo last year, it seems fit. I’ve learned so much from those guys. I can definitely see myself coaching now.”

Collins was a tremendous player for New England on a linebacker group that featured heavy hitters over the course of the mid-to-late 2010s. A new venture on the sidelines could suit him well, as he looks to continue life on the gridiron.

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List of Patriots practice squad players not signed to future contracts

These players were not signed to future contracts by the Patriots.

The New England Patriots are making the necessary preparations for a long offseason ahead, including the planning of their 2023 practice squad.

After the team signed 11 players to future contracts last week, that leaves at least five more pending free agents. Keep in mind, some of the names on the list are players that have been involved in at least some way with the Patriots organization off and on.

So there’s a chance they could be back at some point.

Granted, the Patriots are hopeful to have an overall healthier season to avoid leaning too heavily on their practice squad for help, which was often the case throughout the 2022 season.

But then again, it’s always a good thing to have options, and one of the players not signed to a future deal could prove to be an option to either the Patriots or another team down the road.

Patriots elevate two linebackers from practice squad ahead of Monday’s game vs Cardinals

The Patriots are bringing in some defensive reinforcements against the Cardinals.

The New England Patriots are boosting their linebacking corps ahead of a pivotal showdown with the Arizona Cardinals and their electric quarterback, Kyler Murray.

ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported on Monday that the team was elevating veteran linebacker Jamie Collins and second-year defender Cameron McGrone from the practice squad for the primetime matchup.

One of the primary weaknesses for the Patriots defense has been their struggles against mobile quarterbacks. Coming into a game against a player like Murray, who is notorious for scrambling around, buying extra time and making plays with his legs, New England will need to match the right personnel to ensure they don’t suffer the same issues they had against Lamar Jackson, Justin Fields and Josh Allen.

Collins is obviously in the twilight of his career, but he won a Super Bowl and developed into an All-Pro player by being one of the more versatile and athletic linebackers in the league.

McGrone, who is being elevated for the first time, showed similar abilities in training camp. This could be an opportunity for him to make a name for himself and stick on the main roster.

The Patriots are likely facing a must-win scenario against one of the more dangerous offensive teams in the league. So they’ll clearly need all of the help they can get.

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Injury-plagued Patriots missing nine players at Tuesday’s practice

Nine players were missing at Tuesday’s practice for the Patriots.

The New England Patriots returned to practice on Tuesday, following their disappointing loss to the Buffalo Bills, and there were more than just a few missing faces on the field.

A combination of injuries and sickness have decimated the team in the final stretch of the regular season.

The good news is they’ve had extra rest time with their upcoming Monday Night Football game against the Arizona Cardinals coming after their second consecutive Thursday Night Football appearance. So they’ve had all weekend to sit back, relax and begin implementing the necessary changes to hopefully bounce back from consecutive losses to the Bills and Minnesota Vikings.

Of course, a big indicator of that will be their ability to stay healthy, which has been increasingly hard for them to do lately. They were missing nine players at practice on Tuesday, including multiple standout players on both sides of the ball.

There’s still plenty of time for the Patriots to get right ahead of their showdown with the Cardinals.

Even with their 6-6 record, they are still very much in the AFC playoff hunt as the eighth seed behind a New York Jets team they’ve already beaten twice and own a tiebreaker against.

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Patriots LB Jamie Collins making an impact despite limited playing time

Jamie Collins is still making an impact, according to coach Bill Belichick.

New England Patriots linebacker Jamie Collins is making a strong impact for the team, despite not even being on the field. Patriots coach Bill Belichick has taken notice of Collins’ work.

Collins re-signed with the Patriots on October 3, but he has not played since appearing in one game against the Chicago Bears on October 24. He played in 22 defensive snaps in the contest after being elevated from the practice squad.

This isn’t his first go-around with New England, either. He has bounced around the organization, being selected by New England in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft. He then came back in 2019, before his most recent stint with the organization in 2021.

Collins has managed to make an impact, despite limited playing time this season. The linebacker is still rehabbing from surgery in the offseason for an unknown injury. Belichick had nothing but positive things to say about the veteran defensive player when speaking with the media.

“Jamie’s really been great,” said Belichick, via NESN’s Dakota Randall. “After his offseason, kind of rehabbing and all that, and then coming in and getting back into it. He’s worked himself into good shape. He’s been a really positive guy for the younger players, for our team. The things he does for us on the field, the scout team and all that. He’s ready at multiple positions whenever we need him.

“He works hard and prepares well. Glad he’s here. Honestly, he’s been great. It’s great to have him.”

Despite not playing a ton this season, it appears that Collins is making an impact where he is needed and embodying the definition of a team player.

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