Sunday 26 August 2018 23:31, UK
Wide receiver Eric Decker, who signed a one-year contract with the New England Patriots on August 3, announced his retirement on Sunday.
The 31-year-old played eight seasons in the league.
On a statement on his Instagram page, Decker said: "It has been my childhood dream and my passion to play the game of football.
"I was very fortunate and blessed to have had the opportunity to have those dreams fulfilled and to have played with such extremely talented and hard-working teammates, coaches and staff.
"This has been a passion inside of me since I was a little boy but I know now it is time to hang my helmet up and start a new chapter in my life."
Although the Patriots need depth at receiver, Decker wasn't a sure bet to make the roster. He didn't play on Friday in the first half of a preseason loss to Carolina when quarterback Tom Brady was on the field.
Since the start of training camp, New England have released receiver Jordan Matthews, Malcolm Mitchell and Kenny Britt.
The team traded Brandin Cooks in the offseason and lost Danny Amendola in free agency.
Julian Edelman is the team's No 1 receiver, but the NFL suspended him for the first four games for violating its policy on performance-enhancing drugs. He is followed on the depth chart by Chris Hogan, Phillip Dorsett and Cordarrelle Patterson.
Decker was drafted by Denver in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He also played for the New York Jets and Tennessee.
During his career, he played in 111 games (83 starts) with 439 catches for 5,816 yards with 53 touchdowns. In 2017, his only season in Tennessee, he played in all 16 games and started half. He had 54 receptions for 563 yards and a touchdown.
