The New England Patriots are bringing a familiar face back to Foxborough. The club should sign a deal for veteran linebacker Jamie Collins, according to ESPN. The actual avenue that Collins initially brings back to the Patriots, however, is still unclear as the team could choose to sign him on the active roster or bring him on board through the practice squad. Either way, it will bring Collins back with the Patriots for his fourth stint with the franchise.
The 32-year-old was drafted by New England in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft over Southern Miss. He spent his first three full seasons in the league with the Patriots and helped the club win Super Bowl XLIX against the Seahawks in 2014. In his fourth season in the league, the club shipped Collins to the Browns in the middle of the season, in what has been one of the most shocking trades of Bill Belichick’s tenure.
After spending a few seasons at Cleveland, Collins was released in the spring of 2019 and eventually found his way back to the club for the upcoming season. After that one-year reunion, he signed a three-year, $30 million deal with the Detroit Lions — who were then managed by Matt Patricia — in March 2020. That stint in Detroit only lasted one year. season and a half and was released midway through the 2021 campaign and he would eventually return to the Patriots.
in 122 career regular season games, Collins had 706 tackles, 26.5 sacks, and 39 pass breakups.
The move gives New England — which just gave up 5.7 yards per carry in Sunday’s overtime loss to Green Bay — some depth at linebacker with someone very familiar with their defense, so Collins should be operational in relatively short order.