The New England Patriots have officially released their first practice squad – and while eight of the nine players listed have already been reported, the ninth was not: defensive tackle Darius Kilgo.
Kilgo originally joined New England last November. The former Denver Bronco was claimed off waivers and later signed to the team's practice squad. Following the Super Bowl, New England signed him to a one-year futures contract and gave him a chance to compete for a roster spot along a deep and talented defensive line.
The 25-year old was unable to do that and as a result was released yesterday. However, thanks to going unclaimed through the waiver wire, Kilgo will return to New England through the team's practice squad.
Yesterday, the Patriots also opted to release four players with injury designations. If they would clear the waiver wire, they would revert to injured reserve. And according to NESN's Doug Kyed, this is exactly what happened:
Devin Lucien, Josh Augusta, Woodrow Hamilton and D.J. Killings passed through waivers unclaimed and will revert to Patriots injured reserve.
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) September 3, 2017
All four players listed above were longshots to make the roster even before suffering their undisclosed but season-ending injuries. And even though they will miss the 2017 season, being placed on injured reserve keeps them in New England and potentially allows them to return in 2018.