Belichick: Patrick Chung 'a Special Person and Player'

The New England Patriots paid tribute to safety Patrick Chung when they officially announced his retirement

The retirement of safety Patrick Chung became official Monday when the New England Patriots issues a press release.

The announcement includes tributes from team owner Robert Kraft and head coach Bill Belichick.

"For more than a decade, Patrick Chung was a versatile and valuable contributor to our team and in our community," Kraft said in the press release. "I remember when I first met him in 2009 on the day we introduced him to the media. We talked about his love of his family and his passion for football. He had a great smile, a big personality and a relentless work ethic, which earned the respect and affection of his coaches and teammates, as well as Patriots fans everywhere. Twelve years later, Patrick retires as three-time Super Bowl champion to spend more time with his family and pursue new passions in his life. We will be eager to welcome him back for the many alumni events and championship celebrations we will host in the future."

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Chung had two different stints with the Patriots, from 2009-12 and from 2014-19, before he sat out the 2020 season after opting out.

He was a key member of the defense that helped the Patriots win Super Bowl titles in 2014, 2016 and 2018.

"Patrick Chung is a special person and player, one of the pillars of our program and truly in the upper echelon of the many greats I have had the privilege to coach," Belichick said. "It all stems from his passion for the game and tone-setting, team-first attitude. Pat's combination of toughness, intelligence and versatility was exceptional and it enabled him to perform more roles than most any player I have ever seen.

"In any setting, whether in the locker room, in meetings, on the practice field, during games and in the biggest moments, Pat was everything a coach could want. It is no accident that his teams competed for championships virtually every year of his Patriots career. I applaud him for a remarkable career and am grateful for all he did for me and our organization."