Less than a year after joining Days of our Lives, Marcus Patrick has been let go by the NBC soap opera. The timing of the move has many fans scratching their heads.

After all, Patrick posed for Playgirl just a few months ago. Could this decision have led to his dismissal?

Rumors of Patrick's firsting first started circulating in August, when the actor posed naked for Playgirl. We might never know if this led to his ousting, but tabloid The Globe printed an article saying NBC brass was unhappy with Patrick's appearance in the magazine.

This marks the second time that Patrick has been axed by a soap. He joined All My Children as Jamal Cudahy in June 2006, but asked to be released just three months later.

Today is Patrick's final appearance on the show. We'll keep you updated as this story progresses, but let us know what you think about it now at our Days of Our Lives forum.

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.