One more year for Seau

One more year for veteran Seau as he comes out of retirement again

By Paul Higham   Last updated: 14th October 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

One more year for Seau

Back again: Seau with coach Belichick

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The New England Patriots have persuaded veteran linebacker Junior Seau to come out of retirement for a third time to play in his 20th season in the NFL.

40-year-old Seau has signed a one-year deal with the Pats to add some much-needed experience and depth to a defence that lost leaders Rodney Harrison and Tedy Bruschi to retirement.

Linebacker Mike Vrabel and defensive end Richard Seymour also left New England in trades, but now Seau will return to pick-up a leadership role for Bill Belichick's team.

Seau has been working as a TV host for the Versus network, and it was that company who announced the deal had been completed for the 12-time Pro Bowler to get back into the NFL for yet another season.

"I'm very fortunate and honored to be involved with two class organisations - the New England Patriots and Versus," Seau said in a statement released by Versus.

"I want to thank the management of both for making my return to the NFL with the New England Patriots a reality."

After 13 seasons with the San Diego Chargers and three in Miami, Seau retired for the first time in 2006 but soon signed with the Patriots and played 27 games over two season before retiring again.

Seau broke that retirement to play in the final four games of last season, but once again he has been coaxed back into putting on the pads after completing a stringent physical examination with the team.

"He looked like he's kept himself in shape," director of player personnel Nick Caserio said. "We wanted to make sure, more than anything, from a physical standpoint with the medical information, that he was healthy."