Vince Wilfork swiftly brushes aside any retirement speculation

Patriots defensive lineman Vince Wilfork said today he is fully committed to a 12th season in the NFL.

The 33-year-old was asked about the bubbling retirement speculation on WEEI's Dale & Holley.

"There's no way in the world this is my last season," Wilfork said. "I doubt if this is my last one."

Wilfork said he worked too hard last year to return from a torn Achilles, and he was already looking forward to defending the Super Bowl title in 2015. The thoughts of retirement haven't even entered his mind.

"I still have a lot of football in me," Wilfork said.

The Patriots have until March 9 to pick up Wilfork's option for the 2015 and 2016 seasons, so his return to the team isn't necessarily cemented until that happens. The Patriots would owe Wilfork a $4 million roster bonus on the first day of the league year, which is March 10, and his 2015 cap hit will be $8,433,333. Wilfork, who has a $3 million base salary in 2015, can earn up to $8.5 million in cash next season by reaching all of his incentives, including a $300,000 weight bonus, $200,000 workout bonus, $500,000 roster bonus ($31,250 per game on 46-man roster) and $500,000 based on playing time and playoff success.


(bostonherald.com)