Tom Brady will have one less veteran receiver when the defending Super Bowl champs open their season Thursday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Patriots cut veteran wide receiver Reggie Wayne and 10 others on the final day to get NFL rosters to the 53-player limit Saturday.

On the team’s Twitter site coach Bill Belichick called Wayne a “true professional.” Belichick also said “our parting was mutual.”

After signing with the Patriots just a couple weeks ago, Wayne requested to be released when the team made its final roster cuts.

Scott Zolak, who is a former New England quarterback and current color analyst on the team’s radio network, reported that Wayne choose to leave the Pats because the “work environment was too tough” and “not fun” for the veteran receiver.

From source close to Wayne "asked for release, work environment to tough….not fun"

— Scott Zolak (@scottzolak) September 5, 2015

Wayne, a 14-year-veteran who played his entire career with Indianapolis, was signed in late-August. Wayne is seventh in NFL history with 1,070 receptions.