Darrell Taylor’s stay at Gillette Stadium has ended one week after it began.
The New England Patriots officially released the veteran defensive end from the practice squad on Friday, as signaled during
head coach Mike Vrabel’s press conference.
Taylor, 28, signed to the practice squad leading up to the AFC divisional round after clearing waivers via the Houston Texans. With the AFC Championship Game against the Denver Broncos on deck, that spot has opened and he has become a free agent again nine days later.
Selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft at No. 48 overall, Taylor stands 69 games into his career, including 13 starts. The 6-foot-4, 255-pound edge defender made previous stops with the Seattle Seahawks and Chicago Bears before joining former Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio’s roster in March.
An ankle injury limited Taylor to four appearances while in the AFC South. He was placed on injured reserve in November and briefly activated as the calendar turned to January. It was on to Foxborough from there.
“Well, we had conversations with him in free agency,” Vrabel told reporters last week. “Ended up going somewhere else. And then, when he became available, we got together and had a conversation and were able to bring him in.”
Taylor’s run in the league has spanned 126 tackles and 24.5 sacks, led by 9.5 sacks back in 2022. The Tennessee Volunteers product has seen 1,960 snaps on defense and 326 snaps on special teams while also registering seven forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and five passes defensed.
The Patriots ruled out starting outside linebacker Harold Landry III on the final injury report ahead of the visit to Mile High, while three move forward as questionable for Sunday.
Kickoff at Empower Field is set for 3 p.m. ET.
