15 Patriots Who Won't Return for the 2024 Season

14. Riley Reiff

The Riley Reiff signing was an unmitigated disaster, no two ways about it. After signing a one-year, $5 million deal with $4.15 million guaranteed in March, the 12-year NFL vet only played a single game for New England this season, a 34-0 loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 5.

Reiff came to the Patriots saying he was motivated by a Super Bowl ring (yikes, how'd that one work out?) but struggled to stay on the field. The 2012 first-round pick was placed on injured reserve on Sept. 4, activated on Oct. 7, and then placed back on IR on Oct. 21. When all was said and done, Reiff only played 45 snaps in a Patriots uniform.

If New England wants to get subpar lineman play, they are betting off getting it from younger players such as Vederian Lowe, Sidy Sow or Atonio Mafi, who might have a chance at developing still. Sow and Mafi were both 2023 Patriots draft picks, selected in the fourth and fifth rounds respectively.

It would be pretty surprising to see Eliot Wolf and Matt Groh re-sign a 35-year-old offensive lineman coming off an injury-riddled campaign in which he started only one game. If Reiff is still motivated by chasing that Super Bowl title, New England definitely isn't the place for him either right now.