Patriots release starting offensive lineman after loss to Dolphins

The New England Patriots have struggled with one of the league’s weakest offensive lines this season, and their deficiencies were glaring once again in their 34-15 defeat to the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium.

Following the loss, the Patriots made a pair of roster changes on the offensive line, announcing on Tuesday that they had released left guard Michael Jordan and claimed Lester Cotton off waivers.

Jordan, who was signed by New England in January, started the season on the practice squad. After being elevated for the first two games, he was added to the active roster and went on to start 11 games at left guard this year. However, he earned a subpar 51.5 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.

Cotton, 28, was waived by the Miami Dolphins on Monday. He entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2019, after playing college football at Alabama. Over his career, Cotton has played in 43 games, starting nine of them—15 games with the Raiders from 2019-2022 and 28 games with the Dolphins from 2022-2024.

It will be interesting to see how the Patriots adjust their offensive line next week. They may opt to use Sidy Sow or Layden Robinson, both of whom have been on the bench. Additionally, former first-round pick Cole Strange is nearing a return and could potentially slide back into his original position. Cotton is another option, as he has experience playing both left and right guard.