FOXBOROUGH - The Patriots are expected to bring in another punter after Bryce Baringer went down with an injury in Saturday’s preseason game against Philadelphia, and coach Mike Vrabel made it clear Monday that the situation is serious enough to force the move.
“It’s serious enough that we will probably have to sign a new punter,” Vrabel said.
Vrabel didn’t reveal the injury itself, but he said after the game that Baringer “wasn’t feeling great” after his first two punts. That led to an emergency shift in responsibilities, with third-string quarterback Behren Morton taking over the punting duties to get the team through the rest of the game.
“So I figured instead of risking anything there with Bryce or with Andy [Borregales], that [third-string quarterback] Behren [Morton] was able to get us out of there,” said Vrabel.
Morton handled three punts and averaged 44.3 yards per kick. He also delivered the go-ahead touchdown pass to Nick DeGennaro in the final minute, turning in an unusual two-way fill-in performance.
Vrabel was asked whether Morton might get another look at the job.
“Maybe,” Vrabel said. “His plus-50 needs to improve and then we need some more hangtime and not kick it right down the middle. At least they bounced and went forward, so that was positive.”
For now, the Patriots will likely have to search the free-agent market for help. Vrabel pointed to available options, noting that the 49ers did not resign Thomas Morestead during the offseason and that the Giants released Jamie Gillan in March.
Baringer has handled punting duties for New England since 2023 and has appeared in 51 straight regular-season games. He owns a career average of 47.9 yards per punt and a long of 79. Last season, he had a career-low 51 attempts as the Patriots’ offense improved and finished second in the league in scoring.
The injury also comes at an awkward time in Baringer’s career. He is in a contract year, with his deal set to expire after the season. If he and the Patriots don’t reach a new agreement, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent.
There is still no timetable for his return. New England closes its preseason Thursday night in Cleveland, and the deadline to get the roster down to 53 players is Sunday evening.
With the season-opening Super Bowl rematch against Seattle coming in a little more than two weeks, the Patriots appear set to make punter integration part of the plan.
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