Jerod Mayo: Opts for retirement

Mayo decided to retire from the NFL after eight seasons Tuesday.

During his initial campaigns with the Patriots, Mayo was a play-making force, racking up 100-plus tackles in four of five seasons. The run included a whopping 175 tackles in 2010, while he forced at least one fumble each year. However, injuries have plagued the linebacker in the interim, with a pair of torn pectorals (2013 and 2015) and a torn patellar tendon (2014) marking a sudden end to the respective seasons. As he moves onto the post-football phase of his career, the Patriots will be in search of a consistent MLB.