On Tuesday, ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported on X.com that the Patriots have informed two-time Super Bowl champion and veteran long snapper Joe Cardona that they are releasing him after 10 seasons in New England.
Shortly after Reiss’ report, the team confirmed the release on their social media accounts.
Cardona had been the team’s longest tenured player, being drafted by former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick out of Navy in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft (166th overall).
During his time in New England, Cardona played in 160 out of a possible 164 games for the Patriots. He had served as one of the team’s captains during the 2024 season, and was the only Patriot remaining on the roster from the Super Bowl-winning teams of the 2010s.
Cardona’s reported release makes the team’s decision to draft Vanderbilt long snapper Julian Ashby make a lot more sense, as the 22-year-old was reportedly going to be one of the most sought-after undrafted free agents if he wasn’t selected by end-of-day Saturday.
To avoid the impending bidding war, the Patriots surprisingly selected Ashby in the seventh round at pick No. 251.
“Julian Ashby was a player that we liked,” Wolf told the media on Webex at the conclusion of the seventh round. “We felt like he was the best long snapper in the draft. Through some of the conversations that we had, we felt like he might not be someone that would be available post-draft. Again, wanting to add some competition to the roster, we decided to pull the trigger there late.”
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