Report: Patriots Releasing Tight End Austin Seferian-Jenkins
BOSTON (CBS) -- This offseason, the Patriots signed free-agent tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins with the intention of having him help fill the void left by Rob Gronkowski's retirement.
That plan didn't last long.
The Patriots told Seferian-Jenkins that they're releasing him, according to ESPN's Field Yates.
The Patriots have informed veteran TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins that they are releasing him, per league source.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) June 4, 2019
Seferian-Jenkins had been absent from OTAs this spring, with an excused absence.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said that Seferian-Jenkins is taking time off from football for "personal reasons."
The #Patriots are cutting TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins, source said. He's taking a step away for a month for personal issues and the team will release him as he does that. We'll see if he comes back to New England or anywhere.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 4, 2019
The 26-year-old Seferian-Jenkins has played for the Buccaneers, Jets and Jaguars in his five-year career. He played just five games last year, catching 11 passes for 90 yards and a touchdown, which came against the Patriots. n his career, the 6-foot-5, 262-pound tight end has caught 116 passes for 1,160 yards and 11 touchdowns. His best season was either 2015 with the Bucs, when he caught 21 passes for 338 yards and four touchdowns, or in 2017 with the Jets, when he caught 50 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns.
The Patriots have also signed veteran free agent Ben Watson this offseason, though he'll be suspended for the first four games of the year. The team also signed Matt LaCosse and rookie free agent Andrew Beck this offseason.