Former Falcons OL Retires

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Former Atlanta Falcons offensive lineman Wes Schweitzer is retiring, his new team, the New England Patriots, announced in a press release Tuesday.

The Falcons drafted Schweitzer in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL draft. The 31-year-old spent nine seasons in the NFL, making 90 appearances and 62 starts.

Schweitzer stayed with the Falcons from 2016-19. He was inactive for every game as a rookie before taking over as the starting right guard in 2017. The San Jose State University product started all 16 games in 2017 but lost his job to free agent signee Brandon Fusco during the summer of 2018.

After an injury to starting left guard Andy Levitre, Schweitzer returned to the lineup for the final 13 games in 2018. During his final season with the Falcons, Schweitzer played in 15 games and made seven starts.

The Scottsdale, Arizona, native finished his Falcons tenure with 36 starts in 46 appearances.

Schweitzer signed with the Washington Commanders in 2020, starting 13 of 16 appearances at left guard. He played both right guard and center in 2021 and started five of 11 games played. In 2022, Schweitzer started six games at center but missed two months due to an ankle injury.

The New York Jets signed Schweitzer in March 2023, but he battled injuries across two seasons in Florham Park, playing just 10 total games with a pair of starts.

Schweitzer inked his deal with the Patriots on March 17 and was expected to compete for the starting left guard spot before his retirement.