The New England Patriots wasted no time this offseason changing the culture after a bad 2024 season. The Pats brought in Mike Vrabel as their new head coach, who made multiple changes to the coaching staff and roster.
Regarding the roster, New England released veterans David Andrews, Ja’Whaun Bentley, and Sione Takitaki. Takitaki was the first to be released in February after signing a two-year, $6.645 million contract last offseason.
With the NFL Draft 9 days out, here is an updated list of available free agents: pic.twitter.com/eRnEfdsy4E
— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) April 15, 2025
The veteran linebacker didn’t make a significant impact on the Pats’ defense last year after being a consistent defender in his first five years with the Cleveland Browns. Last season, he racked up 21 combined tackles in 11 games (four starts).
The last time Takitaki produced 21 tackles in a season was his rookie season with the Browns in 2019. The veteran was on the PUP list during training camp, reportedly recovering from a knee scope.
Takitaki was placed on injured reserve to start last season, but was activated ahead of the Pats’ Week 6 clash at home against the Houston Texans. The 29-year-old linebacker didn’t play much in the Pats’ debut, logging 22 snaps (nine on defense).
The veteran defender didn’t make his first start of the season until Week 10 against the Chicago Bears, logging 37 snaps (28 on defense) and recording one tackle.
According to Pro Football Focus, Takitaki had a 55.9 pass rush grade (107th among 189 eligible linebackers), a 59.5 run defense grade (139th), and a 65.5 coverage grade (43rd). While the run defense grade leaves a lot to be desired, Takitaki held his own in pass coverage, which should hopefully help him land a job soon.
The former Patriots linebacker is among the many players still searching for another opportunity ahead of the 2025 campaign. However, given that the 2025 NFL Draft is set to begin next week, we’ll likely see the free agent signings start to slow down as teams prepare to add the future stars to their rosters.
That said, not all is lost for Takitaki. If he can show that he’s healthy and last year’s performance was a mirage, then someone might take a chance. But that chance might not happen until we get closer to training camp this summer.