Less than two weeks ago, the Patriots gave Reggie Wayne a $450K signing bonus to join the team, but it appears his stint in New England will be short-lived. A source tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that the veteran wideout will not be on the Pats’ 53-man roster.
The 15-year veteran asked to be released despite just signing with the Patriots last month, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).
Retirement is an option for Wayne, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter), and he would want to do that in a Colts uniform and not with the Patriots.
Wayne’s deal with the Patriots included several bonuses and incentives, so the team won’t carry a huge chunk of dead money if the former Colt is released. Still, the Pats did sink a guaranteed $450K into Wayne, so the decision to move on so quickly means they really must not have liked what they saw from him over the last week and a half.
Wayne has indicated throughout the offseason that he wants to play one more year. It’s not clear if his outlook will change after what appears to be a brief, failed stint with the Pats. But there are a few other clubs around the NFL that could use receiving help, so perhaps he’ll catch on elsewhere.