The Patriots are turning back to Mitch Wishnowsky for Sunday’s home opener against the Steelers.
New England elevated the veteran punter from the practice squad on the eve of Week 2, giving him a second straight appearance while Bryce Baringer remains on injured reserve to open the regular season. Wishnowsky, 34, signed to the practice squad when it formed and now gets another shot after handling punting duties in last week’s September debut against the Seattle Seahawks.
That first outing was a solid one. Wishnowsky averaged 44.3 yards per punt and 42.0 net yards per punt, and three of his four boots were pinned inside the Seattle 20 at Lumen Field.
He also handled holding duties for Julian Ashby and Andy Borregales on a 50-yard field goal. There were no touchbacks.
The 6-foot-2, 220-pound vested veteran arrived in the NFL as a fourth-round pick by the San Francisco 49ers in 2019, going No. 110 overall. He spent six seasons in the NFC West before brief stops with the Washington Commanders and Buffalo Bills. The former Ray Guy Award winner, who came through Australia, Santa Barbara City College and the University of Utah, has now played 106 games in his career and has 352 punts for 15,997 yards, with a long of 74.
Wishnowsky is expected to return to the practice squad after the game. Under the league’s rules, he can be elevated three times before New England would need to make a 53-man roster move to keep him active.
The Patriots also listed several injury updates for the Steelers game. Offensive tackle Dametrious Crownover was ruled out on the final injury report, cornerback Carlton Davis III was downgraded, and interior offensive lineman Ben Brown plus outside linebacker Dre’Mont Jones were both given questionable designations.
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