Former New England Patriots offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer said in an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio on Tuesday that he plans to retire.
He is currently enrolled in the NFL Broadcast Boot Camp this week in in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey.
Vollmer told SiriusXM NFL Radio that he has lost 75 pounds from his 320-pound playing weight.
Vollmer, 32, was released by the Patriots this year after he missed the entire 2016 season with a hip injury.
Vollmer had played in 98 games (90 starts), including the playoffs, since joining New England as a 2009 second-round draft choice.
Nicknamed "Sea Bass," the German-born Vollmer was one of the most well-liked players in the team's locker room. On the field, his versatility to play both tackle spots increased his value, but he was at his best at right tackle as a force in the running game (he was a 2010 second-team All-Pro).
He broke his leg in the middle of the 2013 season, but he came back from that to start 18 of 19 games in the team's Super Bowl championship 2014 season.
The 2016 season represented a passing of the torch at right tackle for the Patriots, with Marcus Cannon stepping in and seizing the job. The Patriots extended his contract through 2021 in the middle of the season, which foreshadowed Vollmer's time with the franchise coming to an end.
