David Andrews would love to come back for an 11th season with the Patriots next year. He’s just not willing to commit to saying his return is a certainty.
Appearing on the “Eye on Foxborough” podcast, the veteran center said that while the shoulder surgery he underwent last month was done with the goal of continuing his career, he wants to leave the decision open.
“I’m not going to make a decision right now,” he said. “I knew when I had the surgery, the surgery was to try and come back and play. But there was a chance that it does work, or a chance it doesn’t work. So all of that stuff, that’s sometimes hard, and more the mental side of it.
“I think for me right now, it’s just taking it day-by-day seeing where this thing goes, seeing how I feel, how I progress and then I’ll have those conversations with myself and my family, doctors, all that. But I think right now, the plan is to try and work back to get ready to try and go play again. If that’s a possibility, that’s why I did the surgery, to try and give me the best opportunity to do that. So that’s definitely the plan.”
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Andrews had indicated on his “Quick Snap” podcast with Brian Hoyer that he suffered a torn rotator cuff, and had ripped the “rotator cuff right off the bone.”
The Patriots longtime captain got a little philosophical about the future, saying players never really know when their last snap is going to be. At the time he hurt the shoulder, he didn’t think he had played his last game walking off the field after the team’s Week 4 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
“That’s something I’m not willing to say that is,” he said, “so I’m just going to try and take it day-by-day. That’s the biggest thing you can try to do.”
Andrews indicated he’d likely be out of his sling by week’s end. He’s been progressing, going through the process. And while he’s missed long periods of time before either due to injury or illness (blood clots), it doesn’t get any easier.
“Mentally it’s more of a challenge now,” Andrews said. “It’s tough being injured … they don’t pay us not to play. They pay us to play. That’s what I’m supposed to do. That’s who I am. Not being able to do that is tough. But at the same time, there’s a lot of blessings in it.”
One such blessing is Andrews being able to spend more time with his two young boys at home.
“That’s been fun. I’ve enjoyed being home with them,” Andrews said, “but Sunday’s around 12:30, it gets a little eerie. But it’s been good.”
Andrews still goes in daily for treatment, watches practice and still contributes any way he can, whether it’s offering advice, or just listening to a player with an issue.
“I’m out there every day at practice trying to be involved as much as I can out there,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed just being out there. I could go home or do other things, but I love this football team, I love the organization and I love the game. I don’t know what else I would do. So I would rather be here, and be a part of it as much as I can, and find some way, maybe if it’s one nugget of information I can do to help, that’s what I want to do.”
Andrews said he’s been working with guard Cole Strange, who is nearing a return from last year’s season-ending knee injury.
“I have a great relationship with Cole,” Andrews said. “I’m just helping him as much as I can to get back out there, and accomplish what he wants to accomplish, and help the football team.”
