Tavai (undisclosed) was released by the Patriots with a failed physical designation Wednesday, per the NFL's transaction log.
The veteran linebacker from Hawaii appeared in 12 regular-season games for the Patriots last season, recording 42 total tackles and one forced fumble across 445 total snaps (230 on defense, 215 on special teams). Once Tavai proves he's returned to full health, he's expected to find work with a team in need of inside linebacker depth for the 2026 season.
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Jaquelin Roy: Hits free agency
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The Patriots did not extend a restricted free-agent tender to Roy (undisclosed) by Wednesday's deadline, making him a free agent, Mark Daniels of MassLive.com reports.
Roy missed the entire 2025 season due to an undisclosed injury but is now presumably healthy and ready to search for a new landing spot in the NFL. He logged six regular-season appearances (one start) with New England in 2024, totaling 17 tackles (12 solo), including 2.0 sacks, in that span.
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Dolphins' Alex Austin: Inks deal with Miami
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Austin and the Dolphins agreed to terms on a one-year contract Wednesday, NFL reporter Jordan Schultz reports.
Austin mostly served on special teams for the Patriots during the 2025 regular season, finishing with 13 tackles (10 solo) and one pass defense across 12 games. He'll likely reprise that role in Miami while also providing depth in the secondary.
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Isaiah Iton: Not tendered by New England
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The Patriots did not place a tender offer on Iton (hip) on Wednesday, Mark Daniels of MassLive.com reports.
Iton spent the entire 2025 season on injured reserve due to a hip injury he likely picked up during training camp in August. The Rutgers product has not appeared in an NFL regular-season game since signing with the Titans as an undrafted free agent in May of 2024.
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Jack Gibbens: Becomes unrestricted
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Gibbens was not tendered by the Patriots, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.
Gibbens was a restricted free agent set to receive a $3.6 million tender offer. The Patriots' refusal to tender means Gibbens now is an unrestricted free agent. The linebacker played in all 17 regular-season games for the Patriots in 2025, accumulating 81 tackles (43 solo), including 1.0 sacks. Teams looking for a strong rotational linebacker with starting potential likely will be interested in offering the 27-year-old.
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Ravens' Jaylinn Hawkins: Plans to sign with Baltimore
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The Ravens plan to sign Hawkins to a two-year deal, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
Hawkins is set to receive a two-year deal totalling $10 million. The defensive back started all 15 regular-season games he participated in during the 2025 campaign, logging 71 tackles (45 solo), including 1.5 sacks, and added six passes defensed for four interceptions as well. The Ravens will acquire a safety coming off a career year to pair up with All-Pro Kyle Hamilton.
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Anfernee Jennings: Time up in New England
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Jennings is slated to be released by the Patriots, Mike Reiss of ESPN reports.
Jennings departs New England as the team's longest tenured player, as Reiss reports, having played for a trio of head coaches during his time with the team. The Patriots create roughly $3.8 million in salary cap space with his release. Now heading into his age-29 season, Jennings will likely find a home elsewhere in the league as a rotational pass rusher.
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Commanders' K'Lavon Chaisson: Joins forces with Commanders
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Washington agreed to terms on a one-year, $11 million contract with Chaisson on Wednesday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports.
Chaisson is coming off a breakout campaign in New England and will spend his seventh season in the NFL as a focal point of the Commanders' revamped pass rush. Across 16 regular-season appearances in 2025, he totaled 71 tackles (18 solo), including a career-high 7.5 sacks. Chaisson projects to start opposite fellow free-agent signee Odafe Oweh in 2026.
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Chiefs' Khyiris Tonga: Agrees to three-year deal with KC
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Tonga agreed to a three-year, $21 million contract with the Chiefs on Monday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
Tonga parlayed his solid 2025 season with New England into a nice payday from Kansas City, as his new contract includes $14 million in guaranteed money. The deal can be made official at the start of the new league year Wednesday. Prior to making eight starts along the interior of the defensive line for the Patriots in the 2025 regular season, Tonga made seven regular-season starts across four previous seasons split between the Bears, Vikings and Cardinals.
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Patriots' Alex Austin: Not tendered by New England
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Austin was informed Wednesday by the Patriots that they will not tender him a contract as a restricted free agent, so he will become an unrestricted free agent when the new league year begins March 11, Mark Daniels of Masslive.com reports.
Austin appeared in 12 regular-season games for the Patriots in 2025. The 2023 seventh-round draft pick of the Bills has registered 31 tackles (25 solo) and eight passes defensed in 29 NFL appearances split between Buffalo and New England. Austin is likely to land a depth cornerback role somewhere on the open market.
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Patriots' Khyiris Tonga: Has key role for NE in 2025
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Tonga played in 14 regular-season games (eight starts) in 2025, registering 24 tackles and two defensed passes.
Tonga's eight regular-season starts and 336 defensive snaps were the most in his five-year career. He missed four games late in the campaign (including the wild-card win over the Chargers) but played in the Patriots' final three postseason contests and posted seven stops, including 1.0 sacks, over that span. Tonga was playing on a one-year contract and is slated to be a free agent.
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Patriots' Harold Landry: Posts 8.5 sacks in first year in NE
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Landry totaled 49 tackles, including 8.5 sacks, along with a forced fumble over 15 regular-season games (14 starts) in 2025.
Landry joined the Patriots last March after seven years with Tennessee. The Boston College product logged his fewest defensive snaps (673) since his rookie 2018 campaign, but he still paced New England with 8.5 regular-season sacks. Landry was bothered by a knee injury in the playoffs and missed the AFC Championship Game against Denver, but he was able to return to play in the Super Bowl against Seattle. However, he logged just 14 defensive snaps. Landry should be healthy by the start of next season, when he'll in the second year of a three-year contract.
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Patriots' Carlton Davis: Career-high tackles in 2025
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Davis made 69 tackles (39 solo) while suiting up for all 17 regular-season games with the Patriots in 2025. He also had 10 passes defensed.
Davis also logged 20 tackles (14 solo) and four passes defensed, including two interceptions, across four postseason appearances. The standout 2025 free-agent signee has two more years remaining on his contract with New England, and though the team will have a potential 'out' after the 2026 campaign, Davis remains locked in as a starting cornerback for the Patriots next season.
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Patriots' Jack Gibbens: Tallies 81 stops in 2025
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Gibbens made 81 tackles (43 solo), including 1.0 sacks, across 17 regular-season appearances with the Patriots in 2025. He also had four passes defensed and one forced fumble.
Gibbens additionally made 19 tackles (seven solo) across four postseason appearances. After playing out the 2025 campaign on a one-year deal with New England, the 27-year-old linebacker is now slated to become a restricted free agent. As such, the likeliest outcome is that he returns to the Patriots in 2026 to handle a rotational role at linebacker.
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Patriots' Christian Elliss: Records career-high sacks total
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Elliss played in 15 regular-season games (13 starts) in 2025, registering 94 tackles, three defensed passes and a forced fumble.
Elliss's regular-season tackle total was a career-best mark and ranked second on New England behind Robert Spillane. Elliss played in all four of the Patriots' postseason games as well, tallying 19 stops (including 1.0 sacks), two defensed passes, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Elliss is under contract through 2026, so he should again be a key part of the Patriots' defense next season.
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Patriots' Robert Spillane: Solid first season in New England
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Spillane notched 97 tackles, including 1.0 sacks, five defensed passes (including two interceptions) and a forced fumble over 13 regular-season games (all starts) during the 2025 campaign.
Spillane signed with the Patriots last March after a two-year run with Las Vegas during which he averaged 153 stops per season. While Spillane couldn't quite reach those numbers in his debut campaign in New England, he made an immediate impact as the Pats' leading tackler despite missing the final four games of the regular season due to an ankle injury. Spillane returned for the playoffs and posted 18 stops during New England's run to the Super Bowl in spite of missing most of the AFC Championship Game versus Denver as a result of reinjuring his ankle. Spillane is under contract through 2027 and figures to be a central figure in New England's defense again next year.
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Patriots' Harold Landry: Good to go against Seattle
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Landry (knee) is active for Sunday's Super Bowl LX clash against the Seahawks.
Landry had his practice reps limited over the last two weeks in order to manage a lingering knee issue. He drew the questionable tag after posting an LP-DNP-LP practice log this past week, but the veteran edge rusher has been given the green light to play in Sunday's Super Bowl after not playing in the AFC Championship Game against the Broncos. Landry saw limited snaps on defense in his two playoff outings with the Patriots, and if that's the case against Seattle, then both Elijah Ponder and Anfernee Jennings would be in line for more work.
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Patriots' Robert Spillane: Cleared for Super Bowl LX
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Spillane (ankle) is active for Super Bowl LX against the Seahawks on Sunday.
Spillane was able to log a limited practice in Friday's session, and that was enough for him to be cleared to play in the final game of the 2025 season. He has accumulated 14 tackles (five solo) and five pass defenses over the Patriots' three playoff games and will start alongside Christian Elliss at inside linebacker.
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Patriots' Joshua Farmer: Remains on IR
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Farmer (hamstring) has been ruled out ahead of Super Bowl LX on Sunday.
Farmer was questionable to play after being a full participant in practice every day this week, but the team has decided not to activate the rookie from injured reserve. The defensive end's hamstring issue already cut into his opportunity for meaningful experience at the NFL level, and the lack of any postseason experience means the young player may not be ready to be thrown into the fire in the biggest game of the season. The Patriots will enter Sunday's showdown with the Seahawks with Christian Barmore, Milton Williams, Leonard Taylor and Cory Durden at defensive end.
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Patriots' Harold Landry: Questionable for Sunday
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Landry (knee) is listed as questionable ahead of Super Bowl LX on Sunday, Feb. 8.
Landry was able to return to practice in a limited capacity Wednesday before downgrading to a non-participant Thursday. The linebacker ended the week strong by once again upgrading to a limited participant Friday, and his status for Sunday's Super Bowl matchup with the Seahawks remains in question. If Landry cannot suit up, Elijah Ponder and Anfernee Jennings will likely split snaps as the outside linebacker opposite K'Lavon Chaisson, as they did in the AFC Championship Game victory over the Broncos.
