The New England Patriots have elected not to activate tight end Ben Watson to the 53-man roster on Monday, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss. As a result, New England will let him enter free agency.
Watson was serving a four-game suspension after violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. He was eligible to be activated as late as 4 p.m. on Monday, but Watson and the Patriots will part ways.
The move frees up roughly $2 million in salary cap space.
It’s a surprising turn of events after Watson said he intended to retire during the 2019 offseason. When the Patriots came calling with an offer, Watson took it, before testing positive for a fertility drug he’d been using (which he took willingly because he intended to retire).
After working with the Patriots in training camp and serving his suspension, the Patriots seemed like they were in need of a boost at tight end. That may still be true. But Watson won’t be around to help.
Instead, New England will stick with tight ends Matt LaCosse and Ryan Izzo, who have combined for seven catches, 138 yards and a touchdown through five weeks and have struggled as blockers in the running game.
