Patriots cornerback Aqib Talib left the AFC Championship with a thigh injury. (Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

New England Patriots quarterback Aqib Talib injured his thigh in the first quarter of the AFC Championship game on Sunday did not return in the Patriots’ 28-13 loss.

Talib appeared to limp off the field after breaking up a third-down pass intended for Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Anquan Boldin. The CBS broadcast showed Talib going into the Patriots’ locker room, at which point he was listed as questionable to return.

Talib returned to the sidelines later in the first half but never returned to the game. He was replaced by Kyle Arrington.

The Patriots pass defense struggled without Talib, their shutdown cornerback. In the third quarter, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco completed 11 of 18 passes for 123 yards and a touchdown. Flacco threw another two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to cement the Ravens’ lead at 28-13.

The Patriots acquired Talib in an early-November trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Patriots released receiver Deion Branch on Saturday. Branch only had nine catches this season. (Otto Greule Jr./Getty Images)

The New England Patriots released former Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch on Saturday  reports ComcastSportsNet New England.

The team elevated Greg Salas up to the 53-man roster from the practice squad.

Branch has been battling a hamstring injury and was listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts. Branch had nine catches for 80 yards in seven games this season and 6,579 yards and 39 touchdowns in 11 NFL seasons.

He won MVP honors in Super Bowl XXXIX with a 10-catch, 143-yard performance in the Patriots’ 32-29 victory over the Carolina Panthers.

Branch will be available on waivers on Monday. The Patriots also released cornerback Malcolm Williams and added recently acquired cornerback Aqib Talib to the roster.

The Patriots have released Deion Branch and Malcolm Williams. Greg Salas and Aqib Talib are added to the 53. #PatriotsTalk—
Tom E. Curran (@tomecurran) November 17, 2012

The Patriots acquired suspended cornerback Aqib Talib from the Buccaneers. (Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

The Buccaneers have traded talented but sometimes troubled cornerback Aqib Talib to the Patriots. The trade details included Talib and the Bucs’ 2013 7th-round pick for a Patriots 2013 4th-round pick, according to the Bucs.

Talib still has three games remaining in a four-game suspension for taking the prescription drug Adderall without a prescription. He has faced off-field legal troubles on multiple occasions, leading to speculation that new Buccaneers head coach Greg Schiano would attempt to deal him before today’s trade deadline.

Talib, 26, was a first-round pick of the Bucs out of Kansas in 2008 and tallied 18 interceptions and 53 passes defensed in five years

Talib will represent another bid by Bill Belichick to turn a troubled or disgruntled player into an asset under the Patriots’ system, including Corey Dillon, Randy Moss and Albert Haynesworth.

Bucs cornerback Aqib Talib was suspended four games for the use of Adderall, which is a banned substance. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

The NFL suspended Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Aqib Talib four games on Saturday for using Adderall, which is on the league’s banned substances list, reports ESPN.com.

Adderall is commonly used for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy, a chronic sleeping disorder.

Talib will start his suspension Sunday when the Bucs play the Kansas City Chiefs. Talib does not plan to appeal his suspension. The team promoted defensive end Markus White from the team’s practice squad to the active roster.

“Around the beginning of training camp, I made a mistake by taking an Adderall pill without a prescription,” a statement from Talib read. “This is especially regrettable because, for the past several months, with Coach Schiano’s help, I’ve worked very hard to improve myself — professionally and personally — as a player and a man. I am truly sorry to my teammates, coaches and Buccaneers fans, and I’m disappointed in myself. I will work diligently every day of this suspension to stay in top football shape and be ready to help this team in the second half of the season.”

Talib, in his fifth season with Tampa Bay, has 21 tackles and one interception in 2012.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have made starting cornerback Aqib Talib available via trade, according to PewterReport.com.

A league source told the site that the Buccaneers are attempting to trade away the cornerback; however, thus far, there have been no takers.  The team offered no comment on whether Talib is officially on the trading block.

Talib, whose last two years were cut short by injury, is set to go on trial for aggravated assault with a handgun on June 25. The Buccaneers have recently released safety Tanard Jackson, who had long-running substance abuse issues.  Therefore Talib’s character issues may be a reason why new coach Greg Schiano is looking to cut the cornerback loose.

In his career, Talib has compiled 161 tackles, one forced fumble, and 17 interceptions.