Bill Belichick knew there were risks involved when the New England Patriots selected Navy long snapper Joe Cardona in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Cardona was able to play for the Patriots in 2015 because he was assigned to the Naval Preparatory Academy in Newport R.I., where we worked one day per week. He went to Norfolk, Va., for training after the 2015 season concluded and then was set to report to a ship in Bath, Maine.
He might not return in time for the 2016 season, based on comments U.S. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus made Thursday on the Dan Patrick Show, via PatsFans.com’s Steve Balestrieri.
“We have Joe Cardona, long snapper for the Patriots,” Mabus said. “He played last year for the Patriots while he was on active duty because he was able to work them both out. He’s been assigned to a ship and he’s going to report to that ship, so he may need to leave the Patriots for a year or so in order to go fulfill that role.”
This explains why the Patriots signed former Cleveland Browns long snapper Christian Yount before the 2016 NFL Draft.
Cardona played in all 16 regular-season games and both playoff games for the Patriots last season.
Thumbnail photo via Glenn Andrews/USA TODAY Sports Images
