New England Patriots News & Rumors

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/6/25

With our first slate of Sunday games tomorrow, we’ll see our first slew of standard gameday practice squad elevations. Here are today’s minor transactions:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Each NFL team is granted up to two standard gameday practice squad elevations each game, allowing them to call up two members of their practice squad who are able to play in that weekend’s game. After the game is played, the elevated players revert back to the practice squad with no transaction required. This differs from the situation with somebody like Crumedy in Carolina. With Mathis’ placement on injured reserve opening a spot on the 53-man roster, Crumedy has been promoted from the practice squad to the active roster, where he will remain until he is cut or his contract expires.

Practice squad players can be called up a maximum of three times under a single practice squad contract. If a team wants to call up a player who’s been called up three times already, the team will usually sign the player to their active roster for a game, cut them after, and then sign them to a new practice squad contract. Under the new contract, the player would be eligible to be elevated for three more games.

As the Dolphins await Jason Sanders‘ return from IR, Patterson was named the winner of a kicking audition with three other veteran kickers. Miami will be able to elevate him three times but will have to promote him to the active roster for any games between that and Sanders’ activation. Similarly, Prater will likely be on the same plan in Buffalo.

Haener’s stint on the Saints’ active roster was short-lived as the team decides to move forward with only two quarterbacks. Spencer Rattler will handle starting duties to begin the campaign with second-round rookie Tyler Shough serving as his backup.

UNC, Bill Belichick Ban Patriots Scouts

Despite recent news that a Bill Belichick statue may be coming to Gillette Stadium (per ESPN’s Mike Reiss), some bad blood apparently remains between the rookie collegiate head coach and his former NFL team.

The University of North Carolina, where Belichick now runs the football program, has reportedly banned the Patriots’ scouts from attending practices at its facility this season, according to ESPN’s Kalyn Kahler and Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. Patriots scouts are also not allowed to attend the Tar Heels’ home games, due to the team’s purported mistreatment of Belichick since he left New England.

Per Volin, the unfair treatment most likely refers to the Apple TV docuseries The Dynasty. The 10-part series, reported to be an independent project but with a copyright held by Kraft Dynasty LLC, focuses quite a bit on pinning the loss of quarterback Tom Brady and the team’s Super Bowl loss to the Eagles on the head coach, while glossing over many of the franchise’s successes under Belichick. Volin adds that NFL Films was originally meant to be involved in the project but stepped away due to the negative tone towards Belichick.

“Why would we let them in our home after how they have treated Belichick since he left?” a source with the Tar Heels said to The Globe. “We will help our players to the fullest, and we will help their scouts over the phone and sharing of film, but being treated fairly is a two-way street.”

ESPN was met with similar undertones of pettiness when they reached out to UNC general manager Michael Lombardi for comment, and he replied with a curt “good luck” before hanging up the phone.

The comments of The Globe’s source ring a bit hollow in their commitment to help their players. Lombardi and the Heels’ pro liaison Frantzy Jourdain were the ones who informed New England of their ban a day before one of the team’s scouts was scheduled to visit in August.

Scouts from other teams informed ESPN that UNC, under Belichick’s directive, is offering limited access to all NFL personnel. It’s not the ban the Patriots have received, but teams can “speak only with Jourdain,” and the Tar Heels’ college relations website, a page only NFL personnel have access to, reportedly says that “scouts will have zero access to coaches or other personnel people,” with the term “zero access” appearing twice more across the site. Per Kahler, one scout claimed that the Tar Heels limit scouts to watch only three periods of practice, while other schools mostly allow full practices to be watched.

All of this gatekeeping could be extremely harmful to the NFL prospects of players on the UNC football team. Obviously, much of the work in scouting comes from watching games and game film to evaluate the abilities of student athletes, but scouts often enjoy several benefits at school facilities, as well. Scouts are able to get in-person assessments at practices, and often, relationships are made with position coaches, personnel staff, and strength coaches that allow scouts access to candid testimonies on a player’s character or work ethic. By severing any access to those kinds of connections, NFL hopefuls won’t have anyone trustworthy advocating on their behalf.

The odd closed-door protocol hardly makes sense for the Patriots, though a line can easily be drawn to retribution against a former employer, but expanding that policy to the rest of the NFL feels disrespectful to the student athletes and neglectful of the duties of a college football program. It will be interesting to see how much these boundaries extend into the pre-draft process, in regard to the school’s pro day and private workouts with teams, but one hopes Belichick and Co. won’t continue standing in the way of their players and the NFL.

When reached for comment, ESPN reports that Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel told the media, “That’s an individual choice, and we’ll cross that bridge when we start looking at players. I’m going to focus on our football team. That’s their prerogative to make the decisions that they feel like are the best for them. We’ll have to find other ways to get the information for any players that we want to look at at North Carolina.”

Nikhil Mehta contributed to this post.

Bengals Extend C Ted Karras

For the second year in a row, Ted Karras has agreed to a one-year extension. The veteran center inked his latest Bengals pact Friday morning, per a team announcement.

[RELATED: Lucas Patrick Wins Bengals’ RG Spot]

This is a $5MM deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Last summer, team and player agreed to a re-up averaging $6MM across 2024 and ’25, with $4.8MM in new money being owed for the coming campaign. Karras has now received another new pact of similar value; he is under contract through 2026 as a result.

Karras spent his first six seasons in the AFC East, playing out his rookie contract with the Patriots before taking a one-year Dolphins contract. That was followed by a return to New England on another one-year accord. The former sixth-rounder then joined the Bengals on a three-year, $18MM pact as part of the team’s offensive line renovations of that offseason.

Since then, Karras has been a mainstay up front for Cincinnati. The Illinois product has missed only one game to date, and he has delivered consistent performances for his third career team. Karras graded out as PFF’s 15th-best center during his first two Bengals campaigns, and he checked in at No. 21 last year. He will be counted on to remain at that level for at least another two years while also filling a notable leadership role in Cincinnati.

At 32, Karras is presumably closer to the end of his career than the beginning. On multiple occasions this offseason, however, he informed Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer he does not foresee a retirement decision being made in the near future. Team and player will look to continue their relationship through the 2026 campaign at a minimum, although another new contract could be in store if Karras continues to play at a consistent level this season.

Offseason In Review: New England Patriots

The Patriots thought they hit rock bottom in 2023, culminating in the ouster of legendary head coach Bill Belichick. Somehow, things looked even uglier under replacement Jerod Mayo, and owner Robert Kraft was quick to pivot to the second head coach of the post-Belichick era in New England.

Mike Vrabel will now be tasked with turning around a once-renowned franchise that’s looking to avoid its fourth straight losing season, a feat they haven’t achieved since the early 1990s. Of course, Kraft couldn’t only count on a coaching change to turn around the team’s fortunes. The owner also opened the checkbook, committing more than $350MM in free agency to help provide some much-needed talent to one of the league’s worst rosters. At the same time, the team also bid farewell to its last remaining on-field links to its former Super Bowl glory.

It’s a new era in New England, a phrase that’s been uttered several times since Tom Brady and later Belichick departed. The team’s offseason moves will go a long way in determining if this new era is only temporary.

Coaching/Front Office:

While the Patriots planned for years to have Jerod Mayo replace Bill Belichick as head coach, the former All-Pro linebacker only lasted a season as the franchise leader. Expectations were tempered heading into the 2024 campaign; Mayo still managed to disappoint during his lone season on the sideline.

Reports cited a lack of preparation, discipline, and development (especially on the defensive side of the ball). Robert Kraft later acknowledged his mistake to automatically hand Mayo the job, as no other HC candidates (due to a clause in Mayo’s contract that circumvented the Rooney Rule) were interviewed, and the Patriots owner was now set to hire his second coach in a post-Belichick era.

While the organization engaged in a faux coaching search that featured names like Ben Johnson, Byron Leftwich, and Pep Hamilton, Mike Vrabel always appeared to be the lead candidate for the job. A former fan favorite in New England, Vrabel had a relatively successful coaching stint in Tennessee, where he guided the Titans to three playoff appearances and four winning records.

The Titans fell to seven wins in 2022 before a six-win showing in 2023, and with rumblings of a power struggle in the front office, Vrabel was ousted following a six-year stint as Titans head coach. He spent the 2024 campaign as a consultant for the Browns, and he entered the 2025 offseason as one of the top HC candidates on the market.

He landed in the logical spot in New England, where he may have full roster control. The Patriots retained front office leader Eliot Wolf (while pairing him with notable executives like Cowden), although it remains to be seen who has the definitive final decision in New England.

For what it’s worth, the organization has been quick to move on from some of Wolf’s 2024 moves. The executive handed out a number of extensions during the 2024 offseason, and in addition to efforts to move off the Kyle Dugger and Anfernee Jennings investments, the Patriots have already said goodbye to extension recipients like Jabrill Peppers, Davon Godchaux, Kendrick Bourne, and David Andrews.

Wolf’s 2024 draft is also looking like a disaster. While he appeared to hit on third-overall pick Drake Maye, the only other draft pick currently on the active roster is offensive lineman Caedan Wallace, who is penciled in for a backup role. Second-round pick Ja’Lynn Polk was firmly on the roster bubble before landing on season-ending IR, and the team moved on from fourth-round OL Layden Robinson and WR Javon Baker.

While Wolf surely had a say in the team’s quick pivot off the 2024 draft class, the Pats’ 2025 roster makeup also may be an indication of who’s actually running the show in New England. Besides potentially crafting the roster, Vrabel was also tasked with rebuilding his coaching staff. On offense, he brought in old friend Josh McDaniels, who is now preparing for his third stint with the Patriots.

McDaniels failed as a head coach with the Broncos and Raiders, but he’s still regarded as one of the league’s top offensive minds. His ability to squeeze out Mac Jones‘ only serviceable professional season (coupled with his obvious success coaching Tom Brady) has led to optimism about his ability to develop Maye. At the very least, McDaniels should provide an upgrade over the carousel of OCs the team has turned to since McDaniels’ last departure following the 2021 campaign (a grouping that’s included Matt Patricia/Joe Judge, Bill O’Brien, and Alex Van Pelt).

Brought in as DC, Terrell Williams spent six years coaching alongside Vrabel in Tennessee. He spent the 2024 campaign coaching the Lions’ defensive line. Williams dealt with some health issues through the offseason and preseason, putting some focus on Zak Kuhr, who was called on to temporarily take his place. It appears Williams will be set for the start of the 2025 campaign, but the frequent offseason health updates means this is at least a story to watch.

Free agency additions:

The Patriots took advantage of their league-leading cap space to help shore up a defense that finished 2024 ranked in the bottom-10 of most categories. The team’s most notable addition was defensive tackle Milton Williams, who was coming off a career regular season and a successful postseason run with the Super Bowl champs. The Pats outbid the Panthers for Williams, who scored the most fully guaranteed money of any free agent this offseason.

Williams landed as PFR’s No. 3 free agent, and for good reason. While the counting stats don’t jump off the page, the Louisiana Tech product still totaled 18 pressures and ranked sixth in DT pass rush win rate despite only playing a part-time role in Philly. There are rightful questions about whether Williams can sustain that form in a three-down role, but at the very least, he should benefit the defense in both the pass-rush and run-stopping department.

The Patriots also added a pair of steady veterans to help anchor their linebackers corps. Mike Vrabel favorite Harold Landry immediately emerges as one of New England’s top pass rushers, as the edge defender rebounded from a torn ACL in 2022 to compile 19.5 sacks between 2023 and 2024.

New England finished last in the NFL in sacks last season, and Landry should provide the organization with a formidable pass-rush presence that’s been missing since Matt Judon‘s last healthy Patriots season in 2022. Robert Spillane will line up in the middle of the linebacker grouping after collecting 306 tackles for the Raiders over the past two years. The free agent addition should also provide some much-needed help with the run defense, as Pro Football Focus ranked him sixth among ILBs in run stoppage last season.

The team wasn’t done adding linebackers. K’Lavon Chaisson could represent one of the team’s more underrated offseason acquisitions. While the former first-round pick has failed to live up to his draft billing, he showed promise with the Raiders in 2024 by finishing with a career-high five sacks. He should get the first crack at playing opposite Landry on the edge. Jack Gibbens was brought in to provide some ILB depth. Another former Vrabel Titans charge, Gibbens had 95 tackles playing under the coach in 2023 before dropping to 44 tackles with the post-Vrabel Titans in 2024.

To top off their defensive additions, the Patriots brought in one of free agency’s top defensive backs in Carlton Davis. A former mainstay on the Buccaneers’ defense, Davis spent the 2024 season in Detroit, where he finished with 56 tackles and a pair of interceptions. The cornerback reduced his completion percentage, passer rating and yards-per-target figures during his lone season with the Lions, and the Patriots are hoping he can maintain that play opposite Christian Gonzalez.

The Patriots didn’t only add to the defense, as the team added a handful of temporary starters to their offense. Following their failed pursuit of Calvin Ridley in 2024, the Patriots made it known that they were intent on adding a top-end wide receiver in 2025.

The organization was seemingly connected to every big name who could have hypothetically been available via free agency or trade, including Bengals wideout Tee Higgins, Buccaneers receiver Chris Godwin, and former Seahawks (and future Steelers) wideout D.K. Metcalf. Ultimately, the team landed on a former AFC East foe in Stefon Diggs, handing the veteran a lucrative contract despite the wideout coming off a torn ACL.

Diggs was facing more competition for targets in Houston, but the former All-Pro still managed to be productive before his season-ending injury. While his 62 yards per game was indeed one of the lowest of his career, it wasn’t a huge falloff from his 69 YPC number with the Bills in 2023. His 73.4 catch rate represented his best showing since 2020, and his YAC per reception was also on par with his career averages.

Now 31, Diggs should hypothetically provide Drake Maye with a high-end WR. Even if the acquisition doesn’t reach his former elite ceiling, he is still clearly the team’s highest-upside player at the position. If Diggs doesn’t work out, the Patriots structured the contract to give them a clear out following the 2025 season.

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NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/3/25

Today’s practice squad moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Signed: CB Eli Ricks
  • Released: OL Hollin Pierce

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

  • Released: DL Isaiah Raikes

The Ravens added a notable special teamer to their taxi squad today, agreeing to a deal with veteran J.T. Gray. The 29-year-old spent his entire professional career with the Saints before getting cut by the team last week. The majority of Gray’s playing time has come on special teams, where he’s earned three All-Pro nods for his efforts. As Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic notes, the veteran will likely see a role in Baltimore, as the team is still looking to fill holes left by a handful of departed core special teamers this past offseason.

To accommodate the addition of old friend Gabe Davis to the practice squad, the Bills had to get a bit creative. Temporarily, the team has released veteran safety Jordan Poyer, but the former Buffalo starter shouldn’t be gone for long. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, Poyer is expected to rejoin the Bills practice squad once Davis is placed on the taxi squad injured list.

The Lions landed on a third-string quarterback after holding an audition earlier today. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports that the team has signed C.J. Beathard to the practice squad. Beathard worked out for the team earlier today alongside Nathan Peterman. Beathard has only started one game since garnering 12 starts for the 49ers between 2017 and 2020. He split last season with the Jaguars and Dolphins without getting into a game. In Detroit, he’ll serve as a third-stringer behind Jared Goff and Kyle Allen.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/2/25

Here are Tuesday’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Denver Broncos

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

The 12-year veteran wide receiver, Woods, had been signed to the Steelers’ practice squad after failing to make the 53-man roster. Per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor, Woods requested to be released from his practice squad contract but told Pittsburgh that he would be open to returning if a spot on the active roster opened up for him. The team granted his request.

The Cardinals are able to add two players while only releasing one because Daxon is part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program, having been born in the Bahamas. Teams can have one more than the 16-player limit for their practice squad, as long as the 17th players is in the IPPP.

Per Brady Henderson of ESPN, it’s believed that the Seahawks have made this transaction as a courtesy to Campbell, Gaines, and Laumea, who’ve all spent most of the offseason in Seattle with the team. This week on the practice squad will potentially get each player a minimum check for $13K, but the Seahawks are expected to bring Martinez and Jean-Charles back to the p-squad. The same has yet to be confirmed for Kight.

Patriots To Release S Jabrill Peppers

The Patriots are releasing veteran safety Jabrill Peppers, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Peppers, 29, was set to enter his fourth season in New England before he was cut. As a vested veteran, he is not subject to waivers and is free to sign with any team (or their practice squad) right away.

The eight-year veteran was acquired by Bill Belichick in the legendary coach’s second-to-last season in New England. Peppers had a rotational third safety role in 2022 before emerging as a full-time starter the following year. He signed a three-year extension before the 2024 season, but missed eight games due to a suspension and three more to a hamstring injury.

The suspension stemmed from an arrest and subsequent charges for domestic violence and drug possession and cast doubt on Peppers’ future. In January, he was acquitted of the former and admitted to the latter without penalty. Given that he was suspended after the initial arrest but before legal proceedings played out, the league opted not to punish Peppers again.

With his legal issues behind him, it seemed like Peppers would return to a starting role in New England, but new head coach Mike Vrabel had other ideas. While the off-field issues were no longer a concern for the Patriots, per Mike Giardi of the Boston Sports Journal, Peppers saw a role reduction in training camp and appeared in the team’s third preseason game, two signals that his spot wasn’t safe. With trade rumors swirling around Kyle Dugger, who had started at safety for the last four years, it seemed like Peppers was more likely to stick around. However, with no trade partner materializing for Dugger, he stayed on the 53-man roster with Peppers hitting free agency and looking for a new team.

Peppers was of the team’s remaining holdovers from the Belichick years. He was also one of six team captains under Jerod Mayo in 2024; the other five had been sent packing by May, per Ben Volin of The Boston Globe. His release is a confirmation of Vrabel’s desire to move on from the Patriots’ teams that struggled over the past few seasons and establish a new era of football in New England.

The Patriots defense will move forward with six-year veteran Jaylinn Hawkins and fourth-round rookie Craig Woodson as their starting safeties. Hawkins took over a starting role in Peppers’ absence last year, while Woodson has impressed since arriving in New England in the spring. Brenden Schooler and Dell Pettus will provide depth, but this does feel like a position that could use some veteran reinforcement before the regular season.

Peppers’ contract had $4.32MM in guaranteed salary for this season, per Volin. His deal also included offset language, so the Patriots’ dead cap charge will be reduced by whatever Peppers signs for elsewhere (if that happens). He will most likely receive a veteran minimum salary of $1.255MM, so the extra savings would be minimal.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/29/25

Here are Friday’s minor moves:

Detroit Lions

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

New England Patriots

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tennessee Titans

Free Agent

Manoa will be suspended for the first two weeks of the season, if he lands with an NFL squad. While details of the suspension have not been disclosed, it may be linked to an incident that led to him being kicked out of Allegiant Stadium in the spring after some alleged property damage.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 8/29/25

NFL teams continue adjusting their practice squads as we close in on the regular season:

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

  • Signed: S Jordan Colbert

New England Patriots

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

Anderson cleared waivers after being cut and can now be assigned to the 49ers’ practice squad. The reason San Francisco can add two while only dropping one from a full practice squad is because Zierer is from Munich, Germany, qualifying him to be a part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program. While practice squads are capped at 16 players, teams can keep a 17th player if they are a part of the IPPP.

AFC East Notes: White, Wright, Jets, Pats

Teams do not have to release injury reports until next week, but the Bills may have a second issue at cornerback to open their season. Maxwell Hairston is on IR, being one of the 41 players to receive a return designation Tuesday, but the Bills’ preferred option behind the rookie — Tre’Davious White — now appears uncertain for Week 1. White suffered what the Bills are calling a lower leg injury during the final training camp practice, The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia notes, and did not travel to the team’s preseason finale in Tampa. White did not practice at the Bills workout open to the media Wednesday.

White certainly has a history of injury trouble, going down with an ACL tear in 2021 and an Achilles tear in 2023. Those maladies altered White’s first Bills stint, as he became a cap casualty in March 2024. Re-signing on a one-year, $3MM deal, White has a prime opportunity to be Buffalo’s boundary CB opposite Christian Benford — the team’s 2023 season-opening setup. This is not a season-ending injury, per GM Brandon Beane, and White not landing on IR points to a September return. If White is unable to go, the Bills have Ja’Marcus Ingram, sixth-round rookie Dorian Strong and practice squad stash Dane Jackson. If the Bills place White on IR now, he would not count against their eight-activation total like Hairston and Tylan Grable do.

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

  • A question mark late in White’s first stint (and generally in Bills-Chiefs playoff matchups), cornerback is one of Buffalo’s few roster issues entering the season. The Bills are confident in their offense, but ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano notes a trade or two to bolster the defense should be monitored ahead of the November deadline. Buffalo allowed 5.5 yards per play last season (22nd), and Graziano mentions safety as a possible position to watch regarding a trade. The Bills have Cole Bishop set to complement Taylor Rapp, with Damar Hamlin back as a backup. Jordan Poyer also re-signed as practice squad insurance, reminding of Micah Hyde‘s 2024 NFL finale.
  • The Dolphins will begin the season shorthanded in the backfield. While De’Von Achane is expected to be ready after missing late-summer work, Mike McDaniel said Jaylen Wright will not. Wright underwent minor leg surgery but is expected to miss multiple games, with McDaniel (via NFL’com’s Cameron Wolfe) replying “September-ish” as a return window for the second-year RB. Sixth-round rookie Ollie Gordon would be positioned as Achane’s backup, though the Dolphins did reunite with Jeff Wilson on a practice squad deal.
  • We are less than 10 days from the season opener, and the Jets have not determined a starting center yet. Aaron Glenn confirmed (via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy) the competition is ongoing. Considering the team employs a new starting quarterback (Justin Fields) and a new OC, it is interesting no winner in the Joe TippmannJosh Myers battle has been determined. A recent John Simpson injury kicked Tippmann to guard, but an expected return from the LG will move one of the center competitors to the bench. That would leave Tippman set for a demotion or Myers’ low-cost contract (one year, $2MM) set to relegate the ex-Packer to backup status for the first time.
  • The Patriots were the only team to submit a waiver claim for Tommy DeVito, according to the Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi. The ex-Giant joins Drake Maye and Josh Dobbs on New England’s QB depth chart. The Pats, however, made an unsuccessful claim for Jaylon Jones, ESPN.com’s Field Yates tweets. One of two Jaylon Joneses currently working as an NFL CB, the recent Cardinals cut — a fourth-year UDFA out of Ole Miss — returned to the Bears via waivers.
  • Nick Folk, the Jets‘ kicker from 2010-16, agreed to return recently. The 40-year-old specialist agreed to a one-year, $2.9MM contract that includes $1.4MM guaranteed, per ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini. With Folk a vested veteran, the rest of the $2.9MM will lock in next week.