On the first day of free agency in March, the New England Patriots signed defensive tackle Armon Watts to a one-year, $3 million contract.
However, Watts never appeared in a regular-season game for the Patriots.
The veteran defensive tackle began the season on injured reserve and was waived by the Patriots on Tuesday, as reported by NFL insider Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 Houston.
Watts made only two tackles in two preseason games before being placed on IR due to an undisclosed injury when the Patriots trimmed their roster to 53 players. This designation meant his season was effectively over unless he was released with an injury settlement, though it remains unclear if that was the reason for the Patriots’ decision to part ways with him.
It appeared that Watts had an opportunity to secure a position on New England’s defensive line during the preseason, particularly with star defensive tackle Christian Barmore out due to blood clots. Just three seasons ago, Watts recorded a career-high five sacks and 46 tackles in 17 games with the Minnesota Vikings. However, his performance declined in the subsequent seasons while playing for the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers.
With Barmore still out indefinitely and Watts no longer on the roster, the Patriots have seen mixed results from Davon Godchaux, Daniel Ekuale, and Jeremiah Pharms Jr. in their interior defensive line.
