The Patriots filled their open practice squad spot Thursday by bringing back a familiar face in Kindle Vildor.
New England re-signed the veteran cornerback to the 17-man scout team after releasing him from the 53-man roster earlier in the week. Vildor, who is 28, originally joined the Patriots on a one-year deal in March as an unrestricted free agent.
His path in Foxborough has already included a few different stops. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound corner picked off a pass in the preseason, opened the regular season on the practice squad and then got elevated for the Patriots’ 29-26 AFC East upset of the Buffalo Bills. He later moved onto the active roster and was handed a game ball by head coach Mike Vrabel after the 45-17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Through five games this season, Vildor has posted seven tackles, including one for loss, along with one forced fumble and one pass deflection. He has logged 53 defensive snaps and 32 on special teams.
The Patriots’ active cornerback group currently includes Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis III, Marcus Jones, Charles Woods, Channing Canada and Karon Prunty. Vildor now rejoins Al’zillion Hamilton on the practice squad.
Vildor entered the league with the Chicago Bears as a fifth-round pick in 2020, going No. 163 overall. He has also spent time with the Tennessee Titans, Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In his NFL career, the Georgia Southern product has started 27 games and totaled 147 tackles, one sack, two forced fumbles and two interceptions across 2,158 defensive snaps and 605 special teams snaps.
After safety Elliott Davison cleared waivers and circled back, one practice squad opening was still available.
In Other News...
Patriots Special Teams Reset Is Becoming A Bigger Story Than Expected
The Patriots have spent much of 2026 reworking a special teams group that looks noticeably different from the one they carried into last season. Several core contributors from 2025 are gone, and the unit has been rebuilt around younger pieces such as rookies Namdi Obiazor and Erick Hunter, waiver claim Darius Muasau and tight end Cam Latu, giving New England a very different mix of bodies and experience on the kicking game.
So far, the transition has mostly held together. The group has avoided giving up a touchdown, but there have been some issues in kick coverage, which has kept the attention on a phase that usually flies under the radar unless something goes wrong. For the Patriots, the bigger picture is still about developing a young special teams roster while trying to keep the operation steady enough to avoid the kind of hidden-yardage problems that can swing a game. [Read more 🡒]
Belichicks Hall Of Fame Push Just Got Real For Patriots Fans
Bill Belichicks Hall of Fame case is moving into a more serious stage, and for Patriots fans, it is the kind of development that brings his legacy back into focus. The former New England coach is among five coaching candidates nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2027, a group that also includes Tom Coughlin, Mike Holmgren, Dan Reeves and Mike Shanahan.
The Halls coaching subcommittee trimmed the field from a larger pool before settling on this group, and only one coach will ultimately make the final class. The Class of 2027 will be announced in February and enshrined in August in Canton, Ohio, leaving Belichicks place in that conversation very much alive as the selection process moves toward its next step. [Read more 🡒]
DeMario Douglas Is Making Patriots Free Agency Much Harder
DeMario Douglas has quietly turned a late-season opportunity into a real case for the Patriots to think harder about their future at receiver. With injuries thinning out the position, Douglas has been asked to do more, and he has responded with a level of production and reliability that makes him stand out on a roster still searching for answers in the passing game.
The timing only adds to the intrigue because Douglas is headed for unrestricted free agency after the season. For a team that needs dependable pass-catchers and has watched its receiving room get stretched thin, his recent surge is the kind of development that can complicate everything from roster planning to contract talks, especially if this version of Douglas proves to be the one New England is getting going forward. [Read more 🡒]