The New England Patriots running back room got just a bit smaller as the organization released a two-time Super Bowl champion on Tuesday afternoon.
According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, the Patriots released 30-year-old Tyler Gaffney on Tuesday in order to sign 24-year-old defensive back Malik Gant. With New England’s depth at running back pretty much squared away, Bill Belichick opted to trim the position and add another player to the secondary.
Gaffney was in the midst of his second stint with the Patriots and had just signed with the team in May. He spent the 2014-16 seasons with the organization and won two Super Bowls in New England during that stretch.
The Patriots released Tyler Gaffney to make room for Malik Gant.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) August 10, 2021
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Gaffney began his career in 2014, when he was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the sixth round of the NFL Draft. After a short stint on the team’s practice squad he made way for New England.
During his three seasons with the Patriots, Gaffney didn’t see the field much but was still able to walk away with two championship rings. He was released in March of 2017.
From there, Gaffney went on to play for the Jacksonville Jaguars and the San Fransisco 49ers before landing back in New England this spring.
In addition to football, Gaffney played baseball during his college days at Stanford. He was picked by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 24th round of he 2012 MLB Draft and played two minor league seasons in the organization. He retired from professional baseball in 2019.
With a current Patriots running back group of Damien Harris, Sony Michel, James White and rookie Rhamondre Stevenson, the 30-year-old Gaffney didn’t have much room to slot in. Time will tell if he tries to look for another opportunity or bring his NFL career to a close.
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