PHILADELPHIA — The text from Nick Mangold came at 3:37 p.m. on Oct. 14:

“Give me a call when you can.”

I had covered him from the day he was drafted by the Jets in the first round in 2006 until he retired in 2015. Great player, always accessible, always cordial, driest humor in the room.

I called Mangold immediately. He told me he would have something to announce to everyone at 4 o’clock and wanted to give me a heads-up.

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