Patriots Rumors: This Veteran Defender Not Eyeing Retirement

Lawrence Guy will turn 34 in March. He’s played a lot of tough football in the trenches for the Patriots and had a contract dispute last summer that prompted questions about possible retirement.

But the veteran defensive tackle isn’t considering retirement, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss. Nor is Guy playing like someone who’s planning on hanging up his cleats.

“Veteran defensive tackle Lawrence Guy Sr. … is on the cusp of finishing his 13th NFL season,” Reiss wrote Sunday. “At a time when some might be thinking of retirement, Guy isn’t, and it’s understandable why. He has played 48% of the defensive snaps, is a key cog in the NFL’s No. 1-rated run defense (opponents average 3.2 yards per carry) and has one year remaining on his contract ($3.25 million salary cap charge).”

Guy’s current usage rate of 48% of defensive snaps would rank as his lowest with the Patriots since joining New England in 2017. However, it’s not a steep dropoff from his career-high of 56%, which he set in 2020.

So, the reality is Guy still is a trusted and busy run-stuffer for the Patriots, who have one of the best defenses in football. Guy also played in the first 13 games of the season, on-brand availability for someone who only has missed five games over seven seasons in New England.

He’ll look to keep it up Sunday afternoon when the Patriots host the Kansas City Chiefs.