The New England Patriots filled the last spot on their practice squad Wednesday by adding tight end Shane Zylstra, then cleared room elsewhere with a pair of injury-related moves.
With Zylstra’s arrival, New England’s practice squad is now at the 17-player limit heading into the regular season.
Zylstra, 29, entered the league in 2020 as an undrafted free agent with the Minnesota Vikings after coming out of Minnesota State. He was waived after his rookie training camp, then landed with the Detroit Lions, where he spent five years moving between the practice squad, active roster and injured reserve under Dan Campbell. He also had an offseason stint with the Buffalo Bills.
At 6-foot-4 and 244 pounds, Zylstra has played in 35 NFL games with six starts. He has 18 catches for 136 yards and four touchdowns, along with 582 offensive snaps and 393 on special teams.
He joins a tight end group that includes captain Hunter Henry, rookies Eli Raridon and Tanner Arkin, and recent waiver claim Cameron Latu on the 53-man roster. The Patriots also had free agent Kenny Fletcher Jr. in for a workout on Wednesday.
To make additional roster adjustments, New England waived wide receiver Jimmy Kibble and safety Eric Butler from injured reserve. Both players now go through the claiming period before becoming free agents.
Kibble, 22, was waived with an injury designation when camp opened in July and later reverted to injured reserve. The 6-foot-1, 199-pound receiver signed with the Patriots in May as part of the team’s 2026 undrafted class.
A Georgetown product, he finished his college career with 149 catches for 2,642 yards and 16 touchdowns in 39 games. In 2025, he was a first-team All-Patriot League selection and served as a Hoyas captain after posting 63 receptions for 1,002 yards and four touchdowns.
Butler, 23, had worked out in July and signed in August before being released with an injury designation on the eve of cutdown day. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound safety went undrafted out of San Diego State in 2026 and later received rookie minicamp invitations from the Las Vegas Raiders and New Orleans Saints. In college, he played in 48 games with 23 starts and recorded 119 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, one interception returned for a touchdown, and two blocked punts.
Seven players remain on injured reserve at Gillette Stadium.
The season-ending group includes running back Myles Montgomery, tight end Julian Hill, wide receiver Jeremiah Webb and defensive tackle Isaiah Iton. Offensive tackle Marcus Bryant, linebacker Khalil Jacobs and punter Bryce Baringer are all eligible for activation after missing at least four games.
In Other News...
Patriots Rookie Earned A Roster Spot In A Way Nobody Expected
Quintayvious Hutchins found himself in a very modern kind of NFL moment this week, staying on the New England Patriots 53-man roster after the cutdown deadline and learning about it the same way plenty of fans did. The rookie outside linebacker had put together a solid training camp and preseason, and that work helped him stick as one of four outside linebackers on the roster.
What made the moment stand out was the route it took to reach him. Instead of a direct call or message from the team, Hutchins discovered he had made the Patriots through a social media post, a reminder of how abrupt and impersonal roster day can be even for players who did enough to survive it. For a rookie trying to carve out a role, the news was positive, but the way it arrived added an unexpected twist to an already tense process. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Pass Rush Problem Could Revive One Trade Possibility
Harold Landry III being unavailable to open the season has left the Patriots with a clear pass-rush hole, and that kind of need tends to keep front-office phones busy once the league settles in. One name that has lingered in the conversation is Josh Sweat of the Cardinals, a player New England has been tied to before and one whose fit would make sense for a defense looking for more pressure off the edge.
Arizona, though, is not currently planning to move him, which is the part that keeps this from being a simple fit-and-forget scenario. Dan Graziano has noted that the picture could change if the Cardinals drift out of contention, and if that happens the Patriots would be one of the teams worth watching before the trade deadline as they weigh whether to finally address a problem that has been visible since September. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Vrabel Is At The Center Of A Serious Patriots Media Controversy
The Athletics internal review into Dianna Russinis relationship with Mike Vrabel has put an uncomfortable spotlight on how closely NFL reporting and team access can overlap. The investigation centered on whether the former reporters connection to the Patriots head coach affected her coverage, and it concluded that the relationship ran afoul of the outlets standards because it was not disclosed, even though investigators did not find clear evidence that her reporting was biased.
Russini resigned while the review was still underway, leaving the episode to linger as much about newsroom process as about one reporter or one coach. The Athletic also said it would recommend editorial policy changes meant to guard against similar conflicts in the future, a reminder that for a franchise like the Patriots, the questions surrounding Vrabels circle can travel well beyond the field. [Read more 🡒]