FOXBORO, Mass. — Riley Reiff has enjoyed what many would consider a successful NFL career.
The veteran offensive tackle has played 11 seasons in the league (and counting), appearing in 163 games and starting 149 of them. He’s banked more than $70 million across stints with five different franchises, not including the money he’ll earn from the one-year, $5 million contract he signed with the New England Patriots in March.
That’s a solid run for any NFL player. But to Reiff, it’s incomplete.
Reiff met the New England media for the first time Tuesday. Asked what motivates him to keep playing at age 34, the 2012 first-round draft pick succinctly replied: “A ring.”
Postseason success has mostly eluded Reiff throughout his decade-plus in the NFL. He was the starting left tackle on the 2017 Minnesota Vikings team that pulled off the “Minneapolis Miracle” in the divisional round before being throttled by the eventual champion Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game. Two seasons ago, his Cincinnati Bengals made a surprise run to Super Bowl LVI but lost to the Los Angeles Rams.
Reiff suffered a season-ending injury two months before that Super Bowl, so he was forced to watch his team’s defeat in frustration from the SoFi Stadium press box. His other nine pro seasons featured just one total playoff win.
“You guys know this, but to have fun, you’ve got to win, right?” said Reiff, who spent last season with the last-place Chicago Bears.
The Patriots have been the NFL’s winningest franchise during Bill Belichick’s coaching tenure, but few are expecting a return to Super Bowl glory this season. The latest NFL futures on FanDuel Sportsbook had New England at +4500 to win Super Bowl LVIII, tied with the New York Giants for 19th in the league. Kansas City had the shortest Super Bowl odds at +660.
The arrivals of Reiff and a few other key offensive additions should at least help New England field a better product than it did in 2022. After going 8-9, missing the playoffs and ranking near the bottom of the NFL in several important offensive metrics last season, the Patriots signed Reiff, tackle Calvin Anderson, wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, tight end Mike Gesicki and running back James Robinson in free agency. They also revamped their coaching staff, replacing Matt Patricia and Joe Judge with new offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Bill O’Brien and O-line coach Adrian Klemm.
The new-look Patriots are scheduled to hold their first full-team spring practice next Monday.
“Right now, I’m just worried about learning the playbook and stuff,” Reiff said. “I just want to keep playing. Simple as that.”
