Darrell Taylor release row: Why Patriots, Mike Vrabel took big call. Interesting Texans link emerges

The New England Patriots and Mike Vrabel shocked fans with their latest roster move

Published on: Jan 24, 2026, 05:10:49 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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The New England Patriots and Mike Vrabel shocked fans with their latest roster move. The head coach announced on Friday that star defensive end Darrell Taylor has been released from the practice squad just days before the team's divisional game against the Denver Broncos.

Former Houston Texans defensive end Darrell Taylor (52) kneels over on the field after suffering an injury (AP)

During a presser, Vrabel was asked: “How has Darrell Taylor gotten acclimated so far?” Visibly uncomfortable, the HC responded: “Yeah, we released Darrell Taylor. We'll put that out here at four o'clock, so not very well.”

The move comes only days after the Patriots signed the former Texans star to the practice squad, four days before their AFC divisional playoff game against Houston.

Now, fans have a theory. Suggesting potential reasons why Taylor was released, fans suggested that the Patriots just wanted ‘intel’ on the Texans. These are just theories. There is no evidence to back them.

Taylor, 28, was a second-round pick by Seattle in the 2020 NFL Draft and has 24.5 sacks, 43 quarterback hits, seven forced fumbles and 126 tackles in 69 career games (13 starts) with the Seahawks (2021-23), Chicago Bears (2024) and Texans (2025).

Taylor recorded three tackles in four games with Houston this season. His last appearance for the Texans was their Week 9 loss to the Denver Broncos.

New England Patriots depth chart

Offense

QB: Drake Maye, Joshua Dobbs, Tommy DeVito

RB: Rhamondre Stevenson, TreVeyon Henderson

FB: Jack Westover

WR1: Stefon Diggs, Mack Hollins

WR2: DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams

WR3: Kayshon Boutte, Efton Chism III

TE: Hunter Henry, Austin Hooper, CJ Dippre

LT: Vederian Lowe, Will Campbell, Thayer Munford Jr.

LG: Jared Wilson, Caedan Wallace

C: Garrett Bradbury, Ben Brown

RG: Mike Onwenu, Caedan Wallace

RT: Morgan Moses, Marcus Bryant

Defense

OLB: K’Lavon Chaisson, Elijah Ponder

DT: Christian Barmore, Joshua Farmer

NT: Khyiris Tonga, Eric Gregory

DT: Milton Williams, Cory Durden

OLB: Harold Landry III, Anfernee Jennings, Bradyn Swinson

LB: Robert Spillane, Marte Mapu, Jahlani Tavai

LB: Christian Elliss, Jack Gibbens, Chad Muma

CB: Carlton Davis III, Charles Woods

CB: Christian Gonzalez, Marcus Jones

S: Jaylinn Hawkins, Dell Pettus, Brenden Schooler

S: Craig Woodson, Dell Pettus

Special Teams

K: Andy Borregales

P: Bryce Baringer

H: Bryce Baringer

PR: Marcus Jones, Efton Chism III

KR: Kyle Williams, Terrell Jennings, Efton Chism III

LS: Julian Ashby

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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