One of the first jobs for New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel was to figure out who would be part of his team this season after a disastrous 2024 campaign under the direction of Jerod Mayo.
Vrabel jettisoned multiple members of the Pats’ 2024 draft class, including wide receiver Javon Baker. The former fourth-round pick had a ton of ups and downs as a rookie last year, playing only 11 games.
The Patriots released Baker at the end of the preseason in August, and he has since struggled to make his way back on another team’s 53-man roster. Baker was most recently with the San Francisco 49ers, who signed him to their practice squad in December.
However, the young wideout’s time in the Bay Area has already come to an end. The 49ers announced on Wednesday that Baker was released from their taxi squad to make room for two new players.
Ex-Patriots Draft Pick Javon Baker Gets Shown the Door by 49ers
This is not the best news if you’re Baker, considering it's already the end of the season. If he had been able to stay onboard in San Francisco, he could’ve locked in a reserve/futures deal to give him a chance to compete for a roster spot.
Now, the former Patriot will get a head start on the offseason, where he can find a futures deal elsewhere or hope to land a one-year contract in free agency. That said, it might be hard for him to obtain the latter as he hasn’t played any regular-season ball in 2025.
In the case of the 49ers, whose wide receiver unit has dealt with its share of injuries, there could have been a pathway towards seeing the field. Before the 49ers signed the ex-Patriot, Baker was on the Philadelphia Eagles’ taxi squad for a month and some change, where he was immediately signed days after his release. Baker did not make it on the field with the Eagles either.
Therefore, one wonders what Baker’s next step is in his pro career. As a fresh fourth-round pick, there should be a team or two that wants to bring him in to compete for a spot on the 53-man or practice squad. That's probably the best he can do with his resume, which features one catch for 12 yards across 90 offensive snaps — all played with the Pats in 2024.
If that doesn’t happen for Baker, the next likely routes for him could be spring ball in the UFL or maybe north of the border in the CFL.