| Advertisement |
Aug. 10 (UPI) -- New Orleans Saints veteran cornerback Patrick Robinson has opted to retire from the NFL after 11 seasons. The 33-year-old Robinson started his career as the Saints' first-round draft pick in 2010. He later won a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles in arguably his best season in 2017.
Advertisement
Robinson also spent time with the then-San Diego Chargers and Indianapolis Colts between his two stints with the Saints. He played his first five seasons in New Orleans, then returned to the team in 2018. The defensive back was with the club for the past three seasons.
"He's played in this league a long time," Saints head coach Sean Payton told reporters Tuesday. "You know, he's had a great career, he's been smart with his money, and it's something that deep down inside he felt.
"... He felt comfortable with his decision, and certainly we respect that. And he'll get on to his next chapter, and we'll go from there. He doesn't want to let anyone down, and he just felt like in his heart it was the right time, and I respect that."
Payton noted that Robinson wasn't dealing with any injuries when he decided to enter retirement. However, injuries did impact his career in recent years after he re-signed with New Orleans in 2018.
Robinson missed most of the 2018 campaign due to a broken ankle, and he also missed four games at the end of the 2020 season because of a hamstring injury.
Robinson, who was a top candidate to be the Saints' starting No. 2 cornerback this year, was due to earn a $2 million base salary in 2021.
In 123 career games in the regular season, Robinson notched 338 total tackles, 16 interceptions, 83 passes defensed, two sacks and three forced fumbles.
