Longtime New England Patriots safety and three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Chung has decided to hang it up.

Chung announced his retirement on Instagram after playing 11 seasons:

Chung was one of a few who opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19, citing factors that involved his family. In his last season on the field in 2019, Chung started 12 of 13 games that he played in, recording 51 combined tackles.

A constant on defense for New England who was always on the field, Chung played a minimum of 15 games each year from 2014-2018. He was known for being one of Bill Belichick's favorites, and for good reason. Chung was super versatile playing safety, slot corner and even lining up at linebacker during his career. He played a tough, in-your-face style of game but was often underrated during his career.

Chung played 10 out of his 11 seasons for New England, with the outlier being his 2013 season in Philadelphia with the Eagles. His second act with the Patriots was better than the first, both individually for him and with the hardware the Patriots collected.

Chung was named to the Patriots' All-Decade Team for the 2010s for his contributions made on the defensive side of the ball during his time in Foxborough.

New England has added free agents left and right during the offseason so far, and by all measures, were expecting the 33-year-old Patrick Chung to be a part of the picture in 2021. His departure leaves a vacancy not only on the field but in the locker room for the Patriots.