FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots plan to release starting cornerback Jalen Mills in a move that will save the team about $5 million on the salary cap, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Mills, who spent the first five years of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles, had signed a four-year, $24 million contract with the Patriots in March 2021.
He started every game in his first year with the team, but missed the Patriots' playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills because of illness. This past season, he started 10 of the first 11 games before missing the remainder of the year with a groin injury.
Over his two seasons in New England, the 6-foot, 191-pound Mills totaled 78 tackles, 2 interceptions and 12 passes defended.
The Patriots re-signed veteran cornerback Jonathan Jones to a two-year contract with a base value of $19 million on Monday. They return 2022 draft picks Marcus Jones and Jack Jones at the position, along with restricted free agent Myles Bryant and depth players Quandre Mosely, Shaun Wade and Rodney Randle.