Sony Michel clearly was held in high regard during his tenure with the New England Patriots.
After being traded to the Los Angeles Rams earlier this week, his former Pats teammates James White and Julian Edelman showed their appreciation for all that he brought to the field and the locker room. On Sunday, it was Patriots head coach Bill Belichick heaping praise onto the fourth-year running back.
Curran: Patriots must tie up their loose ends before Week 1
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
"Sony has been instrumental in our success offensively when he was on the field," Belichick told 98.5 The Sports Hub before Sunday's preseason finale. "He battled through some challenging situations as well during his time here. He's a quality kid. Always worked hard. Always gave his best, tried to help the team in a number of ways.
"In the end, we did what we felt was best for the football team. Wish Sony well and appreciate all that he did for us but we had to move on. Player movement is a reality in the National Football League."
The Patriots received a 2023 fourth-round draft pick and a 2022 sixth-rounder in exchange for Michel. With Damien Harris, rookie Rhamondre Stevenson, James White, J.J. Taylor and Brandon Bolden on the running back depth chart, Michel became expendable.
In three seasons with New England, Michel tallied 535 carries for 2,292 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was integral to the team's playoff success en route to their Super Bowl title in 2018.
New England Patriots
Find the latest New England Patriots news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Boston.
Michel presumably will split the workload with Darrell Henderson in the Rams backfield.