3 Patriots Who Could Be Cut Following a Brandon Aiyuk Trade
2. Jalen Reagor, WR
The 2023 season was Jalen Reagor's first with the Patriots and it was a mixed bag, to say the last.
On one hand, Reagor impressed a lot of people on special teams. The former TCU product averaged a career-best 31.6 return yards on seven kick returns last season and even opened the Week 17 matchup against the rival Buffalo Bills with a monster 98-yard TD return.
Gone, gone, gone ‼️@jalenreagor | #ForeverNE
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) December 31, 2023
📺: #NEvsBUF on CBS pic.twitter.com/PjWjWa4LA0
On the other hand, Reagor didn't exactly do much to help the passing game. The former 2020 first-round selection only caught a putrid 30.4% (7-of-23) of his targets for 138 receiving yards without a touchdown in 11 games. It marked the third consecutive campaign that he missed the 300-yard mark despite averaging 15 games and 34.3 targets per season during that stretch.
There just won't be a need for him anymore if Aiyuk makes his way to town, especially with other talented wideouts already above Reagor on the depth chart.
As great as Reagor was as a return last year, it isn't as if the Patriots are desperate to keep him. Antonio Gibson, Demario Douglas, and Tyquan Thornton are all potential kick/punt return candidates, leaving the Pats with backup options if they're ready to move on from the unproductive pass-catcher.