 The release of Tommy Kelly was likely a disappointment after the veteran had been looking forward to playing next to Vince Wilfork since signing last season. (USA TODAY Images) |
When the Patriots signed Tommy Kelly before the start of last season, the veteran seemed excited about his opportunity to be in New England.
More importantly, he was looking forward to the chance to play on a defensive line that would have paired him next to Vince Wilfork, whom he expressed quite a bit of admiration for and at the time he said it factored into his decision to come to the Patriots.
 Tommy Kelly is now looking for a new team after being released. (USA TODAY Images) |
"You get to the end of your career, you get the opportunity to play with a real good team like New England — it came down to a couple teams — but I guess after talking with Coach [Bill] Belichick and then just the opportunity to play with Vince," Kelly told Patriots Today at the time. "You wanna play with someone that can play. You know, you always watch people who play your position. I mean, he's a real good player. A hell of a player."
Kelly got to enjoy playing with Wilfork for just three and a quarter games, with Wilfork suffering an Achilles injury just 4:40 into the fourth game of the season in Atlanta.
To make matters worse, Kelly would suffer a torn ACL just a week later that cost him the rest of his season as well.
Now at the age of 33 and coming back off the injury, Kelly found himself caught in a situation where the team had been adding younger depth. After losing both he and Wilfork last season and getting caught without a lot of options inside, the Patriots appear focused on trying to build more depth to make sure they're better prepared this time around. We saw the addition of Dominique Easley through the draft and looking at this group there are a host of other players who will likely factor in with Sealver Siliga (barring any setbacks during his recovery from his hand injury), Michael Buchanan, Jerel Worthy, Joe Vellano or Chris Jones, among others who could find themselves in the rotation.
Either way the club seems to believe Wilfork is healthy enough to be able to give them a veteran presence inside for these guys to gain experience. Unfortunately for Kelly, they didn't feel the same about him. Belichick has been a guy who has shown respect to veterans by releasing them early enough so they can start auditioning for other team sooner rather than later after being let go. It's just too bad for Kelly that he wasn't able to get the opportunity he had hoped for before he landed here.
More News Headlines:
MORSE: Good, Bad, and Ugly as Patriots Embarrass Themselves in 37-13 loss to Browns
By: Mark MorseThe Patriots suffered an ugly 37-13 pre-season loss to the Browns. Analyzing the Good, Bad, and Ugly performances before roster cuts.
Patriots Postgame Notebook: Rough Night For the Defense, Vrabel Makes Interesting Revelation
By: Ian LogueThe Patriots' preseason concludes with a 37-13 loss, as Vrabel addresses defensive woes and Kayshon Boutte's trade. Kyle Dixon and Matt Haack impress.
TRANSCRIPT: Mike Vrabel Postgame Press Conference 8/27
By: Ian LogueHere's the full transcript of what New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel had to say following the Patriots' 37-13 loss to the Browns Thursday…
MORSE: What to Look For in Final Patriots Pre-Season Game
By: Mark MorseExamining the Patriots' final pre-season game, we cover roster battles, Christian Gonzalez's contract negotiations, and the NFL's new player safety rules.
TRANSCRIPT: Ryan Cowden’s Press Conference 8/25
By: Ian LogueHere's the full transcript of what Ryan Cowden had to say during his press conference on August 25, 2026.