Jan 11, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel looks on before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers in an AFC Wild Card Round game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images David Butler II-Imagn Images

Mike Vrabel Bluntly Announces Release of Patriots' DE

Originally posted on New England Patriots on SI
By Daniel Arwas | Last updated Jan 24, 2026 3:00 PM ET

The New England Patriots will look for a Super Bowl-clinching win this weekend against the Denver Broncos. In the buildup to the game, head coach Mike Vrabel had an unusual and awkward moment in his press conference on Jan. 23.

Speaking to the media just two days before the AFC championship showdown, a reporter asked Vrabel about the progress of former Seattle Seahawk second-round defensive end, Darrell Taylor, who signed to the Patriots' practice squad last week on Jan. 14.

And it seemed like some news was planning on being dropped prior to the question being asked, which the reporter was not aware of. Taylor was set to be cut from the organization just a short time after the end of the conference.

"Uhhhh. Yeah. We released Darrell Taylor. We’ll put that out here at 4:00. So not very well.” Vrael said when asked about how well Taylor was acclimating to the team.

Reporter: “How's Darrell Taylor gotten acclimated so far?”

Mike Vrabel: "Uhhhh. Yeah. We released Darrell Taylor. We’ll put that out here at 4:00. So not very well.” pic.twitter.com/hR9ysMWzQz
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 23, 2026

The reply is far from a wild or invalid one. It would probably have looked worse and more disingenuous for Vrabel to make something up about his progress, or even avoid the question entirely, before subsequently cutting the player just minutes afterwards.

But the openness and nonchalance of the answer is certainly an unusual one, and could end up being a tone-setter for the kind of honest and frank culture Vrabel wants to continue to insert into his tenure in New England.

Darrell Taylor Unable To Capitalize On Bright Start To NFL Career

Just a couple of years ago, it would have seemed unimaginable that Taylor would have ended up being cut from a practice squad.

Taylor showed out in his first two seasons in the league, managing 16 sacks across his first two seasons - including 9.5 in 2022. However, a reduction in his 2023 sack total, combined with poor run defense, saw him be moved to the Chicago Bears, where he had a limited impact - playing in 11 but starting no games in 2024.

And after a stint in Houston, the Patriots added him to the practice squad to bolster their edge options at outside linebacker and across the defensive line.

But clearly, he was not demonstrating the kind of play New England was looking for during practice, and after just nine days with the team, Vrabel has evidently already seen all that needs to.

This article first appeared on New England Patriots on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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