Former Patriots Wideout Lands With AFC Team After Waiver Claim

The Colts are taking a shot on another once-promising New England Patriot.

Indianapolis on Thursday claimed ex-Patriots wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson off waivers.

New England waived Wilkerson on Wednesday along with kicker Quinn Nordin and defensive back Tae Hayes. The 26-year-old spent the last three seasons with the Patriots but appeared in just four games. He was a member of the Patriots’ practice squad in 2020 and 2021 and missed the entire 2022 campaign after suffering a concussion on a cheap shot during a joint practice with the Carolina Panthers.

Wilkerson generated outside interest during his Patriots tenure, turning down 53-man roster offers to remain on New England’s P-squad. He’ll now get a chance to compete for a spot in Indy under new head coach Shane Steichen.

This was the second time in three months that the Colts targeted an under-the-radar Patriots prospect. Back in December, they signed Patriots practice squadder Cameron McGrone despite the linebacker having no regular-season NFL experience. McGrone went on to play in one late-season game for the Colts, logging 14 snaps on special teams.

Following Wilkerson’s release, the Patriots have wide receivers DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, Tyquan Thornton, Tre Nixon and Lynn Bowden under contract for the 2023 season. Jakobi Meyers and Nelson Agholor both are set to become unrestricted free agents when the NFL league year opens March 15.