When Patriots veterans report to training camp on July 26, Andrew Hawkins won't be with them.
The wide receiver announced Tuesday that he's decided to hang up his cleats and call it a career. The 31-year-old informed the Patriots of his decision on Tuesday morning.
"I just got off the phone with the New England Patriots and Coach Belichick and I had to inform him of my decision to retire and hang up the cleats," Hawkins said in a video for Uninterrupted.
Hawkins' retirement announcement comes just two months after he signed with the team. The former Browns receiver signed a one-year deal with the Patriots in May after spending the past three seasons in Cleveland.
The 5-foot-7 receiver said his body let him know that it was time to call it quits.
"After OTAs and through summer training, my body just didn't respond and wasn't feeling the way that it should going into camp," Hawkins said. "Basically, [my body] just started breaking down on me."
The decision to retire means that Hawkins will never get to catch a pass from Tom Brady
"I had to make a tough call," Hawkins said of retiring. "Obvious [the Patriots] were disappointed. As I told them, I was just appreciative of the opportunity to come in there and work with an organization as storied as they are."
Despite Hawkins' retirement, the Patriots should still be in great shape when the team's veterans report for training camp on Tuesday. As a matter fact, with all the depth the Patriots have at receiver -- Julian Edelman, Chris Hogan, Malcolm Mitchell, Brandin Cooks and Danny Amendola -- Hawkins was no lock to make the roster.
Hawkins' retirement wraps up a six-year career that included three seasons in both Cincinnati (2011-13) and Cleveland (2014-16). The receiver's best season came in 2014 when he caught 63 passes for 824 yards and two touchdowns during his first year with the Browns.
Overall, Hawkins will finish his career with 209 total catches for 2,419 yards and nine touchdowns.
After announcing his retirement, Hawkins wrote a letter to the people of Cleveland where he thanked everyone in the Browns organization. The former NFL receiver has also pledged to donate his brain to the Concussion Legacy Foundation, a decision that comes on the heels of Tuesday's announcement that 99 percent of brains in a recent study of former NFL players showed signs of CTE.
Hawkins' retirement comes just two months after he earned a master's degree in sports management from Columbia.
As for his retirement announcement, you can see the entire video below.