Vet LB opens up about leaving Patriots for Cardinals in free agency

Veteran linebacker Jack Gibbens opened up about his decision to leave the New England Patriots for the Arizona Cardinals in free agency. The Patriots passed on tendering him as a restricted free agent, paving the way for him to sign with any team that he wanted as an unrestricted free agent. When asked if there was an opportunity for him to return to New England, Gibbens acknowledged that the option was on the table.

"Yeah, definitely. It will definitely be tough to leave there. It’s bittersweet," Gibbens said on Sirius XM, via ESPN's Mike Reiss .

"I love that team. I love Coach Vrabel and his staff. We had an unforgettable year, for sure.

It’s definitely a little sad leaving those guys but just felt like I had a great opportunity with an organization that is kind of trying to get things going in the right direction, similar to [where] New England was last year. So I’m excited to get out there and be part of the turnaround and getting back to where we just took the Patriots. ” Gibbens signed a one-year deal with the Cardinals, effectively ending his one-year tenure in New England.