Patriots Waive Three Players, Including Promising Wide Receiver

With exactly a month to go before the start of the 2023 NFL league year, the Patriots removed three players from their roster Wednesday.

New England waived wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson, defensive back Tae Hayes and kicker Quinn Nordin, according to the NFL transaction wire.

Of that group, only Hayes saw game action for the Patriots this season. The 25-year-old signed late in the year amid a rash of cornerback injuries and appeared in New England’s final two games, logging 32 defensive snaps and three tackles.

Wilkerson missed the entire 2022 season after a cheap shot during joint practices with the Carolina Panthers left him with a concussion. He’d been with the Patriots since September 2020, mostly as a practice squad player, and enjoyed a breakout performance in January 2022, catching two touchdown passes in a blowout win over Jacksonville.

The 22-year-old wideout also caught a team-high eight passes for 99 yards in New England’s 2022 preseason opener before suffering his season-ending injury.

The Patriots initially waived Nordin with a non-football injury designation last June, and he reverted to their reserve/NFI list after going unclaimed. The Michigan product showcased a big leg after signing as an undrafted free agent in 2021, but his accuracy was scattershot. He has yet to appear in a regular-season NFL game.

New England likely will sign or draft another kicker this offseason to compete with 38-year-old Nick Folk. Veteran free agency and the trade market open March 15.