Former Patriots edge rusher Chase Winovich announces his retirement from NFL

FOXBORO -- Former Patriots edge rusher Chase Winovich has announced his retirement at the age of 28. 

Winovich made the announcement on his Instagram account Tuesday night, saying he was hanging up his cleats after 21 years of playing football. He even channeled a little Matthew Slater in his message to fans. 

"I consider myself beyond blessed and deeply grateful to have had the opportunity to play the game I love in front of so many and on some of the world's biggest stages," Winovich wrote. "To quote my friend Matthew Slater, 'We all owe football something,' and that I certainly did."

Winovich was a third-round pick by New England out of Michigan in 2019 and became a bit of a fan favorite thanks to his long blonde hair and high motor. He played three seasons for the Patriots, racking up 5.5 sacks in each of his first two seasons, but played mostly on special teams in 2021. New England traded Winovich to the Cleveland Browns for linebacker Mack Wilson ahead of the 2022 season.

Winovich spent one season with the Browns and then signed with the Houston Texans for the 2023 season. He played against the Patriots in the preseason but was released by Houston as part of the team's final roster cuts, and then signed with the Miami Dolphins.

He played against the Patriots as a member of the Dolphins in Week 2, with a pair of defensive snaps and a dozen on special teams for Miami, but Winovich was cut last week. He finished his NFL career with 107 total tackles, 12 sacks, and an interception over 56 career games.