The writing was on the wall, but now the move is official. The New England Patriots have decided to decline the fifth-year option in wide receiver N’Keal Harry’s rookie contract, as first reported by Ari Meirov of Pro Football Focus.
Harry, 24, joined the Patriots as the 32nd overall selection in the 2019 NFL Draft. The first wide receiver selected in Round 1 since Bill Belichick’s arrival in New England in 2000, he had only a minimal impact over his first three seasons in the league.
With injuries and inconsistency bothering him throughout his three-year career as a Patriot so far, Harry has appeared in only 35 of a possible 51 games.