The New England Patriots have had a bevy of players opt-out of the 2020 season and now they have another player stepping away from football. Dustin Woodard, New England's seventh-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, has decided to retire from the NFL, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

Despite the concerns of COVID-19, Woodard's decision to retire has nothing to do with the coronavirus. Instead, Pelissero stated that Woodard is simply walking away from the NFL before his career even begins.

Going back to April's draft, Woodard was selected with the 230th overall pick in the seventh round. Coming out of Memphis, Woodard was expected to be the backup to David Andrews in 2020. Andrews himself is returning after sitting out the 2019 season due to having blood clots.

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As a result of Woodard's unexpected retirement, the Patriots are likely on the market for an interior offensive lineman. Besides Andrews, Tyler Gauthier is the only official center remaining on the roster.

Throughout the offseason, New England has taken massive hits to their roster with players opting out due to concerns surrounding COVID-19. The most notable players to opt out include Dont'a Hightower, Marcus Cannon, and Patrick Chung.

With training camps getting underway, this was going to be the time for Woodard and other rookies to prove themselves. And with no preseason taking place, it was going to make it tougher to express your worth to the coaching staff.

But for Woodard, given the lack of depth at center, he had a decent chance to make the roster. Nevertheless, he's choosing to pursue something outside of the NFL. We wish him well in whatever he chooses to do moving forward.