Anfernee Jennings, the New England Patriots’ longest-tenured player, will be released on Wednesday after six seasons. Adam Schefter of ESPN was first to report the news. Jennings first joined the team as a third-round draft pick in 2020.
From Alabama to New England
Jennings played college football under Nick Saban at the University of Alabama. He was selected 87th overall by the Bill Belichick-led Patriots in 2020. Primarily used as a role player early on, he took a step in his development when Pro Bowler Matthew Judon missed most of the 2023 season due to injury. Jennings moved into a starting role and became one of the top run-defending outside linebackers in football.
Role Changes and Playing Time
He returned as a starter the following year under new head coach Jerod Mayo, but saw his role change when Mike Vrabel took over the following year. While his workload increased as the year went on, Jennings still ended the season with a defensive playing time share of only 32% — his lowest since 2022.
Jennings’ Patriots Legacy
In total, he leaves the Patriots with 79 combined regular season and playoff games on his résumé. Jennings registered 233 tackles, 9.5 sacks and two forced fumbles and recoveries each.
The 28-year-old was entering the final year of his current contract with a salary cap hit of $4.87 million. K’Lavon Chaisson’s departure to the Washington Commanders was reported just minutes earlier. NFL free agency and the 2026 league year will start at 4 p.m. ET.