New England Patriots release former Kentucky star Lynn Bowden Jr.

Former Kentucky star Lynn Bowden has been released by the New England Patriots, NFL insider Ari Meirov reports.

Bowden, who spent to 2022 season on the Patriots’ practice squad, was signed to a futures contract with the team back in January. He appeared in one game for New England back in November against the Indianapolis Colts, where he saw limited action.

He was originally drafted No. 80 overall by the Las Vegas Raiders in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He was traded before the start of his rookie season to the Miami Dolphins and played in 10 games before the end of his first season.

Prior to the NFL, Bowden was a star wide receiver for UK. After a slew of injuries to the team’s quarterback room during his senior season, Bowden helped lead the Wildcats to an eight-win season capped with a Belk Bowl victory over Virginia Tech. Bowden completed a touchdown pass to Josh Ali in the final minute to give the Wildcats the 31-30 victory.