Why Patriots Surprisingly Released Defender Day After Signing Him

The Patriots on Tuesday signed massive nose tackle Marquan McCall in a somewhat intriguing move that coincided with the release of injured receiver Tre Nixon. But McCall wasn’t present at Wednesday’s practice in Foxboro, Mass.

Well, now we know why.

The 6-foot-3, 379-pound McCall failed his physical due to a knee issue, according to a Wednesday report from Jordan Schultz of The Score. The move was viewed as a surprise, per Schultz, and McCall now will go back on waivers after previously being released by the Carolina Panthers.

McCall was active in 16 games last season for the Panthers, seeing 186 defensive snaps. He signed with Carolina last offseason as an undrafted free agent.

New England doesn’t have anything in the way of true nose tackle depth behind Davon Godchaux and Carl Davis, so McCall seemed like a worthwhile flier. Nevertheless, he now is back on the open market.

The Patriots now have an open roster spot. It’s unclear whether they’ll look to fill it with roster cutdowns set for next Tuesday.