Former Patriots C Bryan Stork might retire instead of play for Washington

News broke this morning that the New England Patriots were going to release center Bryan Stork. But Washington GM Scot McCloughan checked the transaction wire because he wanted to put in a waiver claim and didn’t see Stork’s name.

So he put in a call to the Patriots and wound up offering a conditional 7th round pick to bypass the waiver system. The Patriots would likely only receive the pick if Stork made the team.

And the latest wrench in the whole ordeal is that Stork is now considering retirement instead of playing for Washington.

It’s not just one report, either. There are multiple.

And so now we have no idea what Stork will be doing moving forward. Will he play for Washington? He could probably be their starting center. Will he retire? He might want to after receiving a series of serious head injuries over the past three years.

The Patriots will support Stork wherever he winds up because this is a life-changing decision for someone who has achieved a life goal of competing in the NFL, has won a Super Bowl title as a key starter, and is just 25 years old.

Stork should take some time to think over his choices. Best of luck with whatever he decides.

The Patriots have officially traded Stork to Washington in exchange for a conditional 2017 7th round pick, but that will not impact whether or not he retires. It just means that if he chooses to retire, it will be with Washington.