After 13 seasons that included two Super Bowl championships, Danny Amendola has decided to retire. The 36-year-old receiver is hanging up his cleats despite receiving interest from multiple teams during the offseason, per ESPN. Amendola’s next move could be the broadcast booth, as he has reportedly had initial talks with broadcast networks.
“It was better than I could have ever imagined,” Amendola told Adam Schefter about his career.
Amendola went undrafted in 2008 despite a breakout final season at Texas Tech, where in 2007 he caught 109 passes for 1,245 yards and six touchdowns. He spent his entire rookie season on the Cowboys‘ practice squad after being one of the main storylines of HBO’s Hard Knocks during the summer of 2008.
Following a short stay with the Eagles, Amendola was claimed by the Rams heading into the 2009 season. He caught 43 passes that season before breaking out with 85 receptions for 689 yards and three touchdowns in 2010. He posted similar numbers in 2012 after an injury limited him to just one game in 2011.
In March of 2013, Amendola signed with the Patriots hours after Wes Welker left New England to sign with the Broncos. He caught 54 passes and two touchdowns that season while helping the Patriots make a run to the AFC title game. The following season, Amendola helped the Patriots capture the franchise’s first title in a decade. He caught two touchdowns during New England’s come-from-behind win over Baltimore in the divisional round. Trailing late in Super Bowl XLIX, Amendola’s four-yard touchdown reception helped the Patriots rally to defeat the Seahawks.
Amendola continued to make big plays in future Patriots’ Super Bowl runs. He caught a crucial touchdown pass during the Patriots’ improbable comeback win over the Falcons in Super Bowl LI. His two touchdown receptions in the following year’s AFC title game helped the Patriots record a 24-20 win over the Jaguars. Two weeks later, Amendola caught eight of 11 targets for 152 yards in New England’s loss to Philadelphia in Super Bowl LII.
In 13 playoff games with the Patriots, Amendola caught 57 passes for 709 yards and six touchdowns. The Patriots were 10-3 in those games.
Amendola spent the 2018 season in Miami before going to the Lions for two seasons. He spent 2021 with the Texans, where he caught three touchdowns despite missing more than half of the year with an injury.
The 5-foot-11 wideout finishes his career with 617 receptions for 6,212 yards and 24 touchdowns in 163 regular season games. He also gained 5,450 yards as a returner while leading the NFL in kickoff return yards in 2009 and in punt return average in 2015.
