The NFL has fired the coach of the last New England Patriots squad to win a Super Bowl. They are also the player who advanced them to that game as of Monday afternoon.

A month ago, Bill Belichick left the Pats. Rex Burkhead has since retired.

After leaving football in 2023, Burkhead, 33, announced on social media that he was giving up.

For 26 years, Burkhead has been fortunate enough to be able to play football, as he posted on Instagram. It’s interesting to note that he left out the names of any NFL teams or players in his thank you note.

Four years prior, in overtime of the AFC Championship Game, the Chiefs were defeated by Burkhead’s 2-yard diving touchdown. The Patriots’ final Super Bowl dynasty victory was made possible by that triumph.

Burkhead, a 2013 sixth-round pick by the Bengals, signed with the Patriots in 2017. He was an essential member of the team’s backfield rotation for the following four seasons, serving as both a running back and a receiver.

He played for the Patriots in 41 regular-season games and six postseason contests, accumulating 390 total touches for 2,128 yards and 21 touchdowns.