Patriots Officially Make Two Practice Squad Moves

The New England Patriots announced they signed DE Darrell Taylor to the practice squad and released RB Elijah Mitchell in a corresponding move. 

Mitchell, 27, was a sixth-round pick out of Louisiana by the 49ers in the 2021 draft. He signed a four-year rookie deal with the team in May of that year worth $3,663,568, including a $183,568 signing bonus.

Mitchell was an unrestricted free agent for the first time this past offseason and signed with the Chiefs, but they waived him in mid-December. He caught on with the Patriots’ practice squad shortly after. 

In 2025, Mitchell has appeared in one game for the Chiefs. 

Taylor, 27, was a three-year starter at Tennessee. The Seahawks traded up with the Jets to select him with the No. 48 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. 

He signed a four-year, $6,764,507 rookie contract that includes a $2,479,641 signing bonus. However, he missed his entire rookie season and did not accrue a year of experience. 

Taylor was set to be a restricted free agent until signing an extension with Seattle. He was set to earn a base salary of $3,136,000 in 2024 when he was traded to the Bears coming out of the preseason. 

He then signed with the Texans for the 2025 season on a one-year, $4.75 million contract. 

In 2025, Taylor appeared in four games for the Texans and recorded three total tackles.