The Facts: Just before the start of his ninth NFL season, Decker has decided to call it a career.

Diehards Line: Decker, a wide receiver who signed with the Patriots this offseason but appeared unlikely to make the 53-man roster, wrote on Instagram today that he is retiring. “It has been my childhood dream and my passion to play the game of football,” Decker wrote. “I was very fortunate and blessed to have had the opportunity to have those dreams fulfilled and to have played with such extremely talented and hard-working teammates, coaches and staff. This has been a passion inside of me since I was a little boy but I know now it is time to hang up my helmet and start a new chapter in my life. I love football and always will. It will continue to be a part of my life. A 2010 third-round draft pick out of Minnesota, Decker spent his first four NFL seasons with the Broncos before playing three with the Jets, and then signing with the Titans for one year in 2017.