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Patriots Release Defensive Player Just Two Days Before AFC Championship
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- Patriots Release Defensive Player Just Two Days Before AFC Championship
With the AFC Championship Game less than 48 hours away, the New England Patriots have parted ways with a member of their practice squad.
The Patriots signed defensive end Darrell Taylor to their practice squad a little over a week ago. The former second-round pick from Tennessee started his career with the Seattle Seahawks in 2020 before having one-year stints with the Chicago Bears and Houston Texans . He has racked up 126 tackles, 43 QB hits, 24.5 sacks and seven forced fumbles in 69 career games.
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During this Friday's media availability, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel was asked how Taylor has "gotten acclimated" so far in New England . That led to a bombshell response from the former Coach of the Year.
"Uh, we released Darrell Taylor. We'll put that out here at four o'clock," Vrabel said. "So not very well."
Shortly after Vrabel shared this news with the media, New England issued a statement about Taylor's status on the roster.
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"The New England Patriots announced that DE Darrell Taylor has been released from the practice squad," the team said in a press release . "Taylor was signed by New England to the practice squad on Jan. 14, 2026."
© Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images.
Vrabel establishing a winning culture.
Patriots cornerback and punt returner Marcus Jones raved about Vrabel's coaching philosophy during an interview on "The Rich Eisen Show" this week.
"It doesn't just end up happening on Sunday. It's through the week of preparation, making sure that we know about every situation that comes up in the game," Jones said, via NESN. "You know, you love to hear that. And also, keeping us up to the standard. Making sure that we are never complacent."
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The Patriots are two wins away from securing their eighth Super Bowl title. If Taylor wasn't meshing with Vrabel's locker room, cutting him this Friday makes sense.
This story was originally published by The Spun on Jan 23, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
