FOXBORO -- Vince Wilfork has been around long enough to know that, at the end of the day, football is a business.
So when he lines up across from former teammate and center Dan Koppen on Sunday, it'll be strange. That's human nature. But what's also human nature, is players coming and going.
And in Koppen's case, he signed with the Denver Broncos in early September, after being released from the Patriots.
But the last thing that Wilfork wants to do is make Sunday's game against the Broncos at Gillette Stadium about that.
"Being with him for nine years, I know Koppen a little bit," said Wilfork with a smile on Thursday. "He knows me also a little bit. So, it is what it is when it comes down to that.
"I don't think either one of us is any different. We want to try to win a ball game. It's Denver versus the Patriots, not, the Patriots versus Koppen or Koppen versus the Patriots."
As Wilfork kept pointing out, it's the nature of the business.
New England Patriots
"We've seen guys come and go, and play against guys that had been here, that had been teammates before," said Wilfork. "And it's never been a problem. We don't want it to be a problem this week.
"It's the nature of the business. People come and go."
Wilfork found that out early in his NFL career, as he saw Willie McGinest get cut and then sign with the Cleveland Browns.
"Being here nine years, I've seen a lot of people come and go," said Wilfork. "I think the first one probably was Willie McGinest, when he left. It's strange, because you come in as a rookie, McGinest was one of the guys I looked up to, being a defensive player and him being a leader here. I actually watched him in high school.
"That was the first one, but that wasn't the last one. And it's not going to be the last one. So, you've got to take it in stride. You have relationships with guys, off the field relationships, and it is what it is. I'm here to do a job. That's to do my job at the best ability that I can. And it won't stop this Sunday."