A busy day on the National Football League’s transaction wire did come with a move out of Foxborough, as the Patriots officially released punter Jake Bailey.

Bailey, who was a fifth-round pick of the Patriots back in 2019, had spent his entire 58-game NFL career with New England.

• Winning the job over veteran Ryan Allen in 2019, Bailey had a career-high 36 punts inside the 20-yard line during his rookie year, and was at his best during the 2020 season, which saw him earn Pro Bowl and All-Pro First Team honors after leading the NFL with a 45.6 net punting average.

  Bailey, who also handled kickoff duties and holding duties during his time with the Patriots, totaled 222 punts for a 45.9-yard average with 102 punts inside the 20-yard line during his four-season run with New England.

• 

  FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – AUGUST 19: Jake Bailey #7 of the New England Patriots looks on before the preseason game between the New England Patriots and the Carolina Panthers at Gillette Stadium on August 19, 2022 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

• The 25-year-old Bailey dealt with a back injury that limited him to just nine games last season, and had a seemingly tumultuous end to his tenure, as the Patriots suspended Bailey for the regular season finale.

  Upset and vehemently disagreeing with the team’s decision to suspend Bailey, Doug Hendrickson, the agent for Bailey, filed a grievance on his client’s behalf in early January.

  “While Jake Bailey was on IR he never missed a single treatment, meeting, or practice,” Hendrickson said in a Jan. 7 statement. “He was hoping to come off IR to play last weekend, but Jake was informed he was being suspended these last two games. This comes as a surprise given his full participation during injury reserve.” Hendrickson closes by adding “we have filed a grievance to fight this unknown suspension.” 

  Bailey’s suspension from the Patriots also impacted the guaranteed money in 2023 that was originally part of Bailey’s three-year extension with the club.

• My new Patriots salary cap space number after accounting for the Jake Bailey release is $30,903,852 - a $65,000 decrease from my last update.
  
  Jake Bailey's cap number was $3.175M
  His dead money = $2.37M
  Salary of player replacing him on Top 51 = 870K
  
  $2.37M +870K = $3.24M

  — Patscap (@patscap) March 10, 2023

• 

  Aug 12, 2021; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots punter Jake Bailey (7) punts the ball during the second half of a game against the Washington Football Team at Gillette Stadium. (Brian Fluharty/USA TODAY Sports)

• Bailey’s departure obviously opens up an organizational need for a punter.

  The 2023 NFL free agent market is currently expected to feature options such as Bradley Pinion, Andy Lee, Thomas Morstead, and Riley Dixon, while the 2023 draft class is headlined by Oklahoma’s Michael Turk, Michigan State’s Bryce Baringer, and Adam Korsak out of Rutgers.

Get The 98.5 The Sports Hub Newsletter Delivered To Your Inbox

Stay up to date with the latest Boston sports news and analysis, local events, exclusive contests, and more.

Email *

Subscribe

By clicking "Subscribe" I agree to the website's terms of Service and Privacy Policy. I understand I can unsubscribe at any time.