The Patriots are clearing a path on special teams, and Bryce Baringer is the one who gets squeezed out.
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, New England is releasing the veteran punter after he spent the year on injured reserve following a preseason injury. Baringer, who was the team’s top punter since arriving as a sixth-round pick in 2023, is now free to sign with another team.
Baringer’s run with the Patriots was short, but it was steady. He won the punting job as a rookie and went on to appear in 51 games, producing 219 punts for 10,500 yards. Until the injury, he had not missed a game.
His setback came in the Patriots’ second preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles, when he exited and was replaced by rookie quarterback Behren Morton. He was later placed on IR as part of roster cuts, but without a designation to return.
The bigger issue for New England is simple: the roster math got tight. The Patriots are only allowed eight midseason returns from injured reserve, and they have already used two of those designations on wide receiver A.J.
Brown and offensive tackle Marcus Bryant. Several other players expected to factor into the season - Mack Hollins, Romeo Doubs, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Greg Van Roten and Dell Pettus - are also on IR and could come back by season’s end.
That left the Patriots with a choice on Baringer, who is in the final year of his four-year rookie deal. Rather than keep him stalled on the sidelines, New England is moving on and giving him a chance to catch on elsewhere.
Baringer was also one of the remaining Patriots who had played for Bill Belichick before he left after the 2023 season. The others still on the roster are Christian Gonzalez, DeMario Douglas, Marcus Jones, Rhamondre Stevenson, Brenden Schooler, Christian Elliss, Mike Onwenu, Hunter Henry, Christian Barmore and Jeremiah Pharms Jr.
For now, the Patriots are down to Wishnowsky as their only punter. He joined the practice squad ahead of Week 1, was elevated at first, and then signed to the 53-man roster on Sept 22. He has handled the job for all seven games, punting 22 times for 1,037 yards with three touchbacks.
Schultz and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport both reported that Baringer is fully healthy, which means New England would have had to part ways with Wishnowsky to get Baringer back on the roster. And even if Baringer had been healthy all along, the Patriots may have been reluctant to unseat a punter who has done the job well.
New England also reportedly made a practice squad move, re-signing edge rusher Jose Ramirez. The team will need to create room for him.
In Other News...
Patriots Trade Deadline Focus Is Shifting To A Growing Pass Rush Need
The Patriots trade deadline planning is starting to tilt toward the one area that has quietly lingered as a problem: generating consistent pressure off the edge. With the defense still searching for more reliable disruption and Harold Landry IIIs return clouded by injury uncertainty, it makes sense that pass rush help has moved closer to the front of the conversation as the deadline approaches.
A few names are already getting discussed as possibilities, with Tuli Tuipulotu, YaYa Diaby and Will McDonald IV all surfacing as edge rushers worth monitoring based on how their current situations line up. None of that means a deal is imminent, but it does show where New Englands attention may be turning if the right opportunity presents itself and the front office decides the pass rush needs more than internal answers. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Suddenly Have A Receiver Situation Fans Need To Watch
The Patriots receiver picture could look a lot different by the time the next offseason arrives, and not just because of their own roster churn. New England is already dealing with uncertainty at the position, and the wider league rumor mill has added another name worth watching in Puka Nacua, the Rams wideout whose future in Los Angeles may not be as straightforward as it once seemed.
If Nacua were to become available down the line, he would immediately jump to the top of the kind of receiver conversation the Patriots have to be having behind the scenes. The appeal is obvious for a team trying to stabilize its passing game, but there is still plenty of distance between speculation and reality, and the bigger question for New England is how the rest of its receiving depth settles in before that market even opens. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Trade Deadline Watch Centers On A Chargers Defender Who Fits A Need
The Patriots have stayed competitive through an inconsistent start, even as injuries have thinned out parts of the roster and left the team needing more reliable answers in a few spots. Linebacker depth is one of those areas, and it has become easy to see why New England might be keeping an eye on the trade market as the deadline nears.
One name that fits the profile is a Chargers defender who has been productive on an otherwise struggling team and could appeal to a Patriots defense looking for experienced help behind its starters. Los Angeles is widely expected to listen on deals as its season has gone sideways, which puts a workable fit on the table for New England if it wants to reinforce a position group that could use another proven option. [Read more 🡒]