As fans, we’re ecstatic to finally have football back, even if it’s just preseason play. This time of the year marks the end of the long offseason and the beginning of a new season.
While the players share a similar level of excitement for the start of the season, this period is a stressful time for players trying to make a team. Every day, they must compete and outperform their peers to secure a job that doesn’t employ many.
They must prove their worth to their coaches in both practices and preseason games before the team trims down its roster from 90 to 53 players on August 26th. In some cases, teams will make cuts during camp, which was the case for this former New England Patriots player.
Matt Sokol Cut By Bills
The Buffalo Bills released tight end Matt Sokol after signing with the team just days before the start of training camp. Sokol played in the team’s preseason loss to the New York Giants, recording one catch for two yards in nine offensive snaps.
#Bills sign Tre Herrndon, cut Matt Sokol
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 12, 2025
It was going to be difficult for Sokol to make the team, as the Bills' tight end group is stacked. Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox have been the focal point of the position for the past few years, and they drafted Jackson Hawes in the fifth round of this year’s draft.
Entering his seventh season out of Michigan State, Sokol has bounced around the league, playing for six teams mainly as a practice squad player. Out of the six, it was the Patriots who gave him the most opportunities to play.
Sokol appeared in eight games during his career, six of which were with the Patriots, playing in three games in both the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He mainly served as backup to another crowded position that featured Hunter Henry, Jonnu Smith, and Mike Gesicki during his tenure.
His tenure with the Patriots ended with him recording no catches, and the team didn’t sign him to a reserve/futures contract for the 2024 season. Sokol will likely have to wait until the 27th for his next opportunity, which is the day teams can form their 17-man practice squad.