FOXBORO, Mass. (AP) – The New England Patriots released punter Ken Walter on Tuesday, two days after the second-worst punting performance in his 42 games with the team.

The Patriots gave other punters tryouts in recent weeks but did not announce that they had signed a replacement.

Walter was one of the few disappointments for the Patriots, second in the AFC with a 10-2 record. He is ranked last in the NFL with a gross punting average of 37.9 yards after he averaged 27.3 yards on three kicks in last Sunday’s 38-34 win at Indianapolis.

Walter, 31, is ranked 24th out of 32 NFL punters with a net average of 33.5 yards. He spent four seasons with Carolina before joining the Patriots for the last 11 games in 2000. He finished with a 38.1-yard net average that year, second best in the NFL. Last season, that fell to 36.4.

In 103 NFL games, his gross punting average was 39.8 yards. In his 42 games with the Patriots, it was 38.9 yards.