A number of former New England Patriots found themselves on the chopping block leading up to the NFL’s 53-man roster cutdown Tuesday afternoon.
The Miami Dolphins released a pair of ex-Patriots on Monday including former first-rounder Sony Michel and wideout Mohamed Sanu, both of whom fell out of favor during their respective New England tenures.
The Kansas City Chiefs followed that up Tuesday morning by cutting two former Patriots including wide receiver Josh Gordon and defensive tackle Danny Shelton, according to multiple reports.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter was among those to report the release of Shelton, who played two seasons with the Patriots before leaving for the Detroit Lions in 2020. Shelton recorded career highs in sacks (three), tackles (61) and quarterback hits (six) during his final season in New England in 2019, but has had his availability and production fall off in the two years since.
Gordon confirmed his release on social media while thanking the city of Kansas City, though NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported the team is open to him returning once its initial 53-man roster is determined.
Former Patriots preseason hero Danny Etling, who had another tremendous touchdown run for the Packers this preseason, was released by Green Bay, according to Schefter. Etling, a 28-year-old quarterback, has never played in an NFL game after being drafted by the Patriots in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
It’s fair to assume the Patriots probably won’t come calling on any of the three free agents as they work through their own cutdown and turn their sights to the 2022 season opener.
