The Patriots have made another surprising roster move.
Two days after waiving defensive end Brandon Deaderick, the Patriots decided to release veteran defensive tackle Kyle Love, as well. Love’s release comes as a result of a non-football-related injury, according to his agent Richard Kopelman of KLASS Sports.
“We have been informed by the New England Patriots that Kyle Love will be released NFI (Non-Football Injury/Illness),” Kopelman told Mike Reiss of ESPN. “This comes on the heels of Kyle having been diagnosed within the past two weeks with Type-2 diabetes. Naturally, we are disappointed that the Patriots decided to part ways with Kyle, especially in light of the fact that a number of elite professional athletes with diabetes – both Type-1, which is known to be far more difficult to manage than Type-2 diabetes – have had very successful careers in professional football, hockey, baseball and basketball.”
Love, 26, had experienced recent weight loss and had to change his diet accordingly, per Kopelman, but apparently the disease did not impact his offseason work with the team.
“Prior to the diagnosis, Kyle recently experienced unexplained weight loss, but since being diagnosed and having altered his diet, Kyle has regained most of the weight he lost, is in good health, and was not limited in any way during offseason workouts in which he was engaged up until being told he would be released.
Love is expected to adjust accordingly, and his NFL career shouldn’t be impacted by the disease.
“Having consulted with leading authorities on the effects of Type-2 diabetes, we have every reason to believe that Kyle will, in the immediate future, be at 100 percent, and will be prepared to participate in training camp in a couple of months. As Kyle said, ‘there is no way something like this is going to stand between me and a long and successful NFL career.’”
Love started 11 games for the Patriots in 2012, recording 25 tackles and 1.5 sacks alongside Vince Wilfork on the Patriots’ defensive line. He was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi State after the 2010 draft. He played in nine games, recording seven tackles and one sack, during his rookie season, and followed that up with a full 16-game slate and career highs with 33 tackles and three sacks in 2011.
Love was slated to carry a $1.1 million cap hit in 2013, and the Patriots should save about $850,000 in cap space with the release.
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