A busy day on the New England Patriots' transactional ledger bid farewell to one of the more renowned names in recent franchise memory: in addition to dealing with vthe release of quarterback Malik Cunningham and the retirement of former draft pick Chase Winovich, New England also cut defensive lineman Trey Flowers from the physically unable to perform list.
Flowers, 30, was back in Foxborough for a second term after he was originally drafted by the team in the fourth round of 2015's draft out of Arkansas. He returned to the team on Aug. 8 and was placed on the reserve/PUP list just over three weeks later.
In New England lore, Flowers is perhaps best-remembered for earning 2.5 sacks during the Super Bowl LI victory over Atlanta. As the Patriots gradually staged a comeback from a 28-3 deficit, Atlanta made it to the cusp of the New England red zone for a potential clinching score in the later stages of regulation.
But Flowers' 12-yard sack of Matt Ryan stifled the Falcons' momentum and indirectly led to a punt that allowed the offense to embark upon a game-tying drive that led to a victorious overtime.
Flowers was also part of the Patriots' most recent championship group two years later, when they topped the Los Angeles Rams 13-3 in Super Bowl LIII. For his efforts, Flowers was named to the Patriots' All-2010s Team, serving as the defensive end alongside Chandler Jones. In four New England seasons, Flowers earned 59 quarterback hits, including 21 sacks.
After Flowers' first New England tour ended after the 2018 season, he signed a five-year, $90 million deal with the Detroit Lions, following former Patriots defensive coordinator and then-Lions head coach Matt Patricia. He was released by Detroit in March 2022 and played four games with the Miami Dolphins last season.
New England (2-5) returns to action on Sunday afternoon in Miami (1 p.m. ET, CBS).
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