Retired DE Rob Ninkovich mentioned during an appearance on CSN New England that he is “not closing the door” on a potential return to the Patriots if something were to happen this year.
“I’m not closing the door. I’m not going to close the door. Just in case, you know, if something happened,” Ninkovich said.
The Patriots are currently in need of help at defensive end after they traded for DE Cassius Marsh last weekend. However, should they sustain some injuries later on in the year, it’s at least possible they could reach out Ninkovich about a potential return.
Ninkovich announced his retirement from the NFL back in July.
Ninkovich, 33, is a former sixth-round pick of the Saints back in 2006. He later played for the Dolphins before returning to New Orleans in 2008 and eventually ending up with the Patriots the following year.
Ninkovich was in the final year of his contract and was set to make a base salary of $1.5 million for the 2017 season.
For his career, Ninkovich appeared in 131 games and recorded 282 tackles, 46 sacks, 12 forced fumbles, 14 recoveries, five interceptions, 18 pass defenses and scored two defensive touchdowns over the course of 11 seasons.
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