FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — In their first personnel move at tight end since Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement in late March, the New England Patriots have agreed to a one-year deal with Austin Seferian-Jenkins, a source tells ESPN’s Field Yates.
The Patriots have not announced the move, but Seferian-Jenkins confirmed in an Instagram post that he was signing with the team.
The Patriots also hosted former Broncos and Texans wide receiver Demaryius Thomas and former Jaguars running back T.J. Yeldon for a visit on Wednesday, a source told Yates.
The 6-foot-5, 262-pound Seferian-Jenkins immediately becomes the Patriots’ most accomplished pass-catcher at tight end, with 116 career receptions for 1,160 yards and 11 touchdowns in 43 games over five seasons.
The other four tight ends on the Patriots’ depth chart — Jacob Hollister, Stephen Anderson, Matt LaCosse and Ryan Izzo — have combined for 71 career receptions.
Seferian-Jenkins, 26, had 11 catches for 90 yards and a touchdown before going on injured reserve in early October with a core muscle injury that required surgery. He became a free agent when the Jacksonville Jaguars declined his $500,000 option for 2019.
Seferian-Jenkins joined the Jaguars on a two-year, $10 million deal before last season after resurrecting his career with the New York Jets. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers cut him after a September 2016 drunken driving arrest, which ultimately resulted in a two-game suspension by the NFL at the start of the 2017 season.
ESPN’s Michael DiRocco contributed to this report.
Source : ESPN
