The New England Patriots decided against tendering restricted free agent cornerback Alex Austin, allowing him to enter the open market when the clock struck 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday. It did not take long for him to sign a new contract, albeit not in New England.
Austin, 24, has decided to join the Miami Dolphins on a one-year contract. NFL insider Jordan Schultz was first to report the news.
Coming off a four-year college career at Oregon State, Austin was selected 252nd overall in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Bills. He was, however, released during his first roster cutdowns and subsequently claimed off waivers by the Texans. He played three games for the team before leaving and shortly thereafter joined the Patriots.
Since New England signed him in November 2023, he was used in 29 games with six starts. He registered an interception as well as 31 tackles, but also had to spend time on injured reserve in both 2024 and 2025.
Austin entered the offseason as a restricted free agent, but did not receive a qualifying offer before Wednesday’s deadline. He was one of six Patriots players in the same position, joining fellows RFAs Yasir Durant, Jaquelin Roy and Jack Gibbens as well as exclusive rights free agents Deneric Prince and Isaiah Iton.
All of them are now on the market, and available for any team including the Patriots to be picked up.