Patriots release former 1st-round pick Jalen Reagor after his cryptic social media post

The Patriots released wide receiver Jalen Reagor from the practice squad on Tuesday, hours after Reagor published a cryptic social media post suggesting that he might not have been happy with his role in New England.

A former first-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles, Reagor signed a one-year, $1.3 million extension with the Patriots in March after spending the 2023 season with New England as a backup WR and kick returner. He received $442,500 in guaranteed money.

Reagor did not make the 53-man roster following the preseason and re-signed with New England’s practice squad in August. He wasn’t active for the first two games of New England’s season.

On Tuesday, Reagor posted a meme on Instagram of a Bugatti parked in a driveway of a trailer park.

The post didn’t include commentary, but one could reasonably conclude in this scenario that Reagor believes himself to be the parked Bugatti and the Patriots the adjacent trailer. And there’s a reasonable chance that that’s exactly how the Patriots interpreted his message.

Hours later, the Patriots released Reagor. They announced the transaction in a brief statement without comment from anyone on the team.

Following his release, Reagor removed the meme from his Instagram account. In fact, he removed everything. As of Tuesday afternoon, Reagor’s Instagram account with more than 100,000 followers featured zero posts and nothing in his Instagram story window. His profile simply read “athlete.”

The chapter is the latest in a disappointing career since the Eagles selected Reagor with the 21st pick in the 2020 Draft — one pick ahead of Minnesota Vikings All-Pro Justin Jefferson. Reagor tallied 31 catches for 396 yards and one touchdown as a rookie and 57 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns in his second season.

The Eagles cut their losses in the 2022 offseason and traded Reagor to the Vikings for a a seventh-round draft pick and a conditional fourth-round pick that converted to a fifth-rounder when Reagor’s performance conditions weren’t met. Reagor caught eight passes for 107 yards in 17 games in Minnesota.

The Vikings released Reagor after training camp in 2023, and the Patriots signed him to their practice squad. New England activated him for 11 games last season, and he tallied seven catches for 138 yards.

He made perhaps his biggest contributions on special teams, where he showcased the top-end speed and athleticism that made him a first-round pick to begin with as a kick returner. Reagor returned seven kicks for an average of 31.6 yards per return, including a 98-yard touchdown on the opening kickoff against the Buffalo Bills in Week 17.

Ultimately, Reagor’s talents weren’t enough to earn him a full-time roster spot in New England. Now he’s looking for a new job.