New England Patriots star Dan Connolly retires

New England Patriots veteran Dan Connolly has announced his decision to retire from the NFL.

The offensive lineman departs as the captain on the Patriots' Super Bowl championship team of 2014, and revealed that going out on top was a factor in his decision.

"It definitely played a part in it; helped me sleep better. I'm more at ease with the decision," he told ESPN.

The 32-year-old added that he could have played on for at least two more years, while there was interest from other teams.

However, he did not want to move his family or be away from them in order to prolong his career in the league.