Remember Danny Amendola? The former New England Patriots wide receiver has done a little bit of everything since retiring from the NFL in 2022. He’s building houses, appeared on reality TV and even tried his hand at coaching. Here’s a look at what the two-time Super Bowl champ is doing these days.
Where are former Patriots now? Danny Amendola | (2013-2017)
The 39-year-old Amendola lives in Austin, Texas these days and is trying his hand in the real estate market. Amendola is partnered with architect Matt Garcia, a fellow Texas Tech grad, to build houses in Austin’s booming market.
Amendola says he got into real estate back in 2020 and has been trying to learn about real estate, building and development.
His most recent high-profile activity was participating in season 33 of “Dancing With the Stars,” which ran in the fall of 2024. Amendola, who was partnered with professional dancer Witney Carson, finished in fifth place.
Before that, Amendola had spent a year working as a coach. In 2023, Amendola was hired by the Raiders to work under Patriots coach Josh McDaniels. Amendola served as a coaching assistant and worked with returners.
A year later, Amendola stepped away from coaching. He told “The Dan & Ninko Show” that coaching wasn’t quite for him and didn’t replace the competitive feeling he had as a player.
Amendola says he enjoyed coaching. But he’s hanging up his whistle for now to follow other pursuits. These days, that means being his own boss, going to the gym and being on the lake by 2 p.m.
“I sure as hell love floating in my pool on Sunday and drinking margaritas,” he said on Julian Edelman’s podcast.
Amendola’s reality TV resume also features an appearance on season one of “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test” in 2023.
A Texas native, Amendola’s football career started in the Lone Star state. He was a star at The Woodlands High School before going on to play for Texas Tech in college.
Coming out of college, Amendola didn’t draw much attention. After going undrafted in 2008, he had practice squad stints with the Cowboys and Eagles.
In 2009, he saw his first regular-season action after the Rams picked him up off Philly’s practice squad. Over the next four seasons, he carved out a solid role in the Rams offense.
In 2013, the Patriots came knocking, signing Amendola to a sizable contract. Over five seasons, Amendola established himself as a reliable receiver and punt returner.
He’s remembered as a playoff hero in New England and was a key part of the 2014 and 2016 Super Bowl championship runs. Amendola also went on a huge tear in the 2018 playoffs, catching 26 passes for 348 yards and 2 touchdowns over three games.
Amendola made a few more NFL stops after leaving New England. In 2018, he jumped to the Miami Dolphins in free agency. He then spent a couple of productive seasons with the Detroit Lions.
Amendola last appeared in the NFL during a brief stint with the Texans in 2021, appearing in eight games. He officially called it a career in July of 2022.
