Jamie Collins Returning To Patriots
BOSTON (CBS) -- A Jamie Collins reunion is indeed on tap in Foxboro.
The Patriots are close to re-signing the linebacker, according to ESPN's Field Yates. CLNS' Evan Lazar and Pro Football Focus' Doug Kyed also reported the news.
Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer indicated that the deal is just a physical away from being completed.
Collins was released by the Lions on Sept. 28, after the team could not find a trade partner.
Collins, a second-round pick by the Patriots in 2013, is 31 years old. He's six seasons removed from his lone Pro Bowl and Second-Team All-Pro nod, but he was a highly active member of the Detroit defense last season. In 14 games, he recorded 101 total tackles (55 solo, 46 assists) with six pass defenses, one interception, three forced fumbles, six tackles for loss, and one sack.
He played in two games for Detroit this season, recording 10 tackles (seven solo, three assists) with a QB hit, a fumble recovery, and a tackle for a loss.
Collins initially played parts of four seasons with the Patriots, winning the Super Bowl in 2014. He was traded on Halloween in 2016 to the Browns, and he signed a big contract with Cleveland the following offseason. He re-signed with the Patriots in 2019, when the Patriots had the league's best defense, and he signed a free-agent deal with the Lions in the offseason that followed.
UPDATE: Collins is indeed back in New England, his agent announced.
That move was announced moments after the team traded Stephon Gilmore to the Panthers, clearing cap space for the addition.
