After 10 seasons in the NFL that included a highly successful run with the Patriots, veteran running back Dion Lewis is retiring, via ESPN's Adam Schefter. Lewis is hanging up his cleats despite receiving recent interest from teams.
Following a stellar career at the University of Pittsburgh, the 5-foot-8 Lewis -- a fifth-round pick in the 2011 draft -- saw little playing time during his first two seasons with the Eagles. He would then miss the entire 2013 season after suffering a fractured fibula after being traded from Philadelphia to Cleveland. While he did not play in 2014, Lewis signed a future/reserve contract with the Patriots on New Year's Eve.
Lewis made his mark in New England. In 2015, he amassed 622 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns before tearing his ACL in Week 9. After missing the first nine games of the 2016 season, Lewis returned to help the Patriots win their fifth Super Bowl during the Tom Brady/Bill Belichick era. He scored three touchdowns in New England's divisional round victory over the Texans. In 2017, Lewis led the Patriots with 896 yards while gaining 1,110 all-purpose yards. He also returned 23 kicks that included a 103-yard return for a score against the Broncos. Lewis started in each of New England's three playoff games while helping New England make a return trip to the Super Bowl.
His success in New England led to Lewis signing a four-year deal with the Titans during the 2018 offseason. While he had over 900 all-purpose yards that season, Lewis' playing time shrank with the emergence of Derrick Henry, who in 2019 won the first of his consecutive rushing titles. Lewis had just 209 yards on 54 carries in 2019, his last season in Nashville. He had just 115 yards on 29 carries during his lone season with the Giants in 2020.
