Patriots Release Third-Year WR Following NFL Draft
The New England Patriots have announced that they have officially released wide receiver John Jiles as part of roster cuts.
Jiles - a 25-year-old North Carolina native - spent the last two seasons on the Patriots' practice squad. The 6'3", 220-pound WR was originally signed by the New York Giants as a rookie free agent out of West Florida in 2024.
Jiles then signed a futures contract with the Patriots on Feb. 10, 2026 after spending this season on the practice squad. The news also follows the announcement of the release of backup tight end Marshall Lang.
In his lone season with West Florida, Jiles hauled in 66 receptions for 1,255 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Jiles did not recorded any regular season statistics for New England, though he finished second on the team in receiving yards in the preseason in 2025.
The Patriots did not draft any wide receivers in the 2026 NFL Draft. However, they did add wide receivers Nick DeGennaro, Kyle Dixon, Jimmy Kibble, Cameron Dorner as undrafted signings.
Who's Left For Patriots WRs?
In addition to the four undrafted signees, New England currently has Romeo Doubs, Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams, DeMario Douglas, Efton Chism III, and Jeremiah Webb in the position room.
Doubs and Hollins are expected to step up following the release of Stefon Diggs. Diggs had 85 receptions for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns for the Patriots in 2025. Wanting to save $16.8 million in cap space, the four-time Pro Bowl receiver was released.
"THANK YOU for a hell of a year," Diggs previously wrote on Instagram, tagging the Patriots. "We family forever ... Until we meet again… 8."
Between the current 11 wide receivers (the seven pre-existing WRs and four new undrafted signees), Jiles became the odd man out - as the position group was getting quite crowded.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/patriots/onsi as Patriots Release Third-Year WR Following NFL Draft.
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This story was originally published April 27, 2026 at 5:09 PM.