Dan Connolly has decided to retire from the NFL at the age of 32. Connolly was a captain on the New England Patriots in 2014.

Connolly had interest from NFL clubs, but was weighing multiple factors.

He and his wife, Lori, have three daughters under 6 years old, and he didn't want to move the family or be away from them while he played in a different city.

Furthermore, health was the "biggest factor" in his thought process, as he had four diagnosed concussions in the NFL, as well as a fifth when playing at Marquette High School in Chesterfield, Missouri.

"It's important to me to leave the game healthy," Connolly said. "I'm able to be here for my kids and walk away on my own terms. I feel like I got everything I could out of football in playing 10 years, winning a Super Bowl, and playing alongside some truly great players."