Eleven months after agreeing to terms in Foxborough, Sione Takitaki will be returning to free agency.
The New England Patriots announced the release of the veteran linebacker on Wednesday.
Patriots release LB Sione Takitaki: https://t.co/3Ff9rAUb2N pic.twitter.com/MPuArm2QOp
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) February 19, 2025
Takitaki, 29, had signed a two-year deal that brought cap charges of $3.355 million and $3.68 million last offseason, per OverTheCap.com. Following a knee scope, the Brigham Young product missed the entirety of training camp and was activated from the physically unable to perform list in October.
He went on to appear in 11 games, including four starts. Across 194 snaps on defense and 112 snaps on special teams, 21 tackles were logged before head coach Jerod Mayo’s Patriots became head coach Mike Vrabel’s Patriots.
Selected in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft at No. 80 overall, Takitaki began his career with the Cleveland Browns, where he overlapped with past assistant general manager and present executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf.
The 6-foot-1, 245-pound linebacker appeared in 72 games while in the AFC North, starting 32. His tenure there spanned 268 tackles along with four sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, two interceptions and one touchdown return.
Earlier on Wednesday, ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported that the NFL’s 2025 salary cap will fall between $277.5 million and $281.5 million. The new league year officially opens on March 12 at 4 p.m. ET.
