Bill Belichick Has Highest Possible Praise For This Patriots Captain

FOXBORO, Mass. -- David Andrews' on- and off-the-field contributions during this forgettable Patriots season have not been lost on head coach Bill Belichick.

A question Friday about Andrews' leadership qualities prompted Belichick to spout effusive praise for the veteran center and longtime team captain.

“Fantastic," Belichick said. "Fantastic. He’s done as good a job -- it’s as good as I’ve seen, honestly. Every day, his performance on a daily basis is really exceptional. Attitude, effort, communication, energy, leadership with younger players, leadership with his peers, communication, you name it. And look, like everybody who plays a lot of football, you get banged up and deal with some stuff during the year."

Despite that, Andrews is the only player on the Patriots' roster who's played 100% of snaps on offense or defense this season. No other offensive player is even above 80%. He's been the lone constant on an offensive line that's been hammered by injuries since the start of training camp.

"He’s shown a lot of physical toughness to play through that, a lot of mental toughness," Belichick continued. "He would never come out of practice for a play. We have to take him out to kind of help manage some of the bumps and bruises that he has, but this guy is a warrior.”

Andrews is the Patriots' longest-tenured offensive player and one of the few holdovers from New England's most recent Super Bowl team in 2018. He's the first player or coach to address the media after each Patriots game, win or lose, and is highly respected within the locker room.

Quarterback Bailey Zappe called Andrews "a true Patriot."

"I put him up there with (Matthew) Slater and all those guys," Zappe said Wednesday. "He's the captain's captain. Anything you ever need on and off the field, you can always ask him questions. That's something that he's done for me. I always ask him as far as football knowledge. He's been wonderful for me and everything that I've learned from him. I think he's just great for the O-line room as well, the veteran aspect of everything.

"To be honest, he's just a great guy and a great football player. I like being behind him and taking snaps from him."

Andrews, the 2023 recipient of the Ron Hobson Good Guy Award, will center New England's depleted O-line again this Sunday night against the Denver Broncos.