Alex Austin
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Cornerback Alex Austin won’t be back with the New England Patriots next season. NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported Wednesday night the Patriots elected not to tender Austin a contract.
But based on Austin’s response to the news, that won’t take away from his tenure with the organization.
Less than a half hour after Schultz reported the cornerback was set to become a free agent, Austin delivered a heartfelt goodbye to the Patriots.
“Forever love in New England! God’s Plan,” Austin wrote on X. “Looking forward to what he has next.”
Schultz reported Wednesday the Patriots didn’t offer the cornerback a tender contract as a restricted free agent. That will turn Austin into an unrestricted free agent next week.
Austin will hit the open market officially on Wednesday, March 11. The new league year begins at 4 pm ET that day.
The legal tampering period for NFL free agents begins on Monday, March 9.
Austin spent two and a half seasons with the Patriots. He appeared in 26 regular season games, starting six of them.
This past season, he also played in three postseason contests.
In the 2025 regular season, Austin posted 13 combined tackles and one pass defense.
Patriots Part Ways With CB Alex Austin: Report
Interestingly, Austin quote tweeted Schultz’s report with his farewell.
That might lead some to believe the cornerback learned about his own release on social media. But that hasn’t been confirmed.
To keep Austin, the Patriots would have needed to tender him a contract. A first-round tender is the most expensive, but the more expensive the tender, the more costly it is for another team to sign that free agent.
All tenders for restricted free agents are 1-year contracts. Austin not receiving a tender was a clear indication the Patriots didn’t see him worth the value of the lowest tender contract.
Last season, Austin earned $1.03 million.
Over 12 regular season games, he played 144 defensive snaps and 120 snaps on special teams during 2025. Austin played more on defense during 2024 (234 snaps) despite playing in just nine contests.
The Patriots defense, though, was significantly better in 2025 than 2024. So unsurprisingly, there was less playing time for the former seventh-round pick.
Austin’s NFL Journey Set to Continue in 2026 NFL Free Agency
This spring, Austin will be looking for his fourth NFL team.
The Buffalo Bills drafted the cornerback at No. 252 overall in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Austin, though, didn’t make the Bills roster in August 2023.
Following his release in Buffalo, the Houston Texans claimed him. The cornerback made his NFL debut with the Texans, appearing in three contests with Houston before another release.
Austin then joined the Patriots in November 2023.
According to NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein’s NFL draft profile of the cornerback, Austin lacks the physical traits typically associated with NFL cornerbacks. But his intelligence and instincts make him a quality depth defender and potential special teams contributor.
“Austin’s size, length and football IQ work in his favor, but there is a lack of consistency with his man coverage that could limit the way NFL teams use him,” Zierlein wrote. “He’s decent at mirroring the release from press but struggles to stay in-phase with quality route runners.
“He plays with below-average top-end speed and recovery burst in man coverage, but his instincts and awareness take him where he needs to go from off-man and zone coverage.”
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