Patriots release International Pathway Player Wilfried Pene

On Thursday afternoon the New England Patriots announced the release of defensive lineman Wilfried Pene. Pene had signed with the team as a UDFA this spring out of Virginia Tech, and took part in OTAs and Minicamp.

Pene's release comes after the team had gotten a roster exemption for him last month as part of the NFL's International Pathway Program. The program, which aims to increase the number of players in the league from outside of the USA and Canada to help grow the game globally, allows teams to carry qualifying players without those players taking up a spot on the 90-man roster. After roster cuts, those players can be kept on the practice squad without officially taking up a spot.

A native of Tours, France, Pene started playing football in his home country before coming to the US and playing at St. Thomas More Prep in Connecticut. From there he went to to Virginia Tech, where he appeared in 47 games over the past four seasons.

Because the Patriots had a roster exemption for Pene, this move does not open a roster spot. The team is still full at 90 players after signing tackle Yasir Durant earlier this week.

The Patriots have made use of the Pathway Program in the past. Perhaps the most notable example is fullback Jakob Johnson, who originally joined the team as an IPP player in 2019 and went on to start at fullback for two years in New England before moving on to the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants.