The New England Patriots and Andrew Rupcich have taken another step in sorting out the interior offensive lineman’s future.
According to the NFL transaction wire, the team reached an injury settlement with Rupcich on Thursday, which sends him through waivers as the weekend approaches and opens the door for another club to claim him. A return to Foxborough down the line is still possible.
Rupcich’s 2026 campaign had already been derailed after ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported last weekend that he suffered a strained MCL in the preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts. The 6-foot-6, 325-pound lineman left in the fourth quarter after logging 58 offensive snaps as the team’s starting left guard and then remained on the sideline for the final minutes of the 13-13 tie.
Even without surgery, the injury led to a stint on injured reserve, and New England moved quickly to reinforce the position by adding Darrian Dalcourt, Joe Michalski and veteran Greg Van Roten.
Rupcich, 27, had been in the mix for a 53-man roster spot this August after spending last season on the Patriots’ practice squad and then signing a futures contract in February. He came into the league as an undrafted free agent with Mike Vrabel’s former Tennessee Titans in 2022 after playing at NAIA’s Culver-Stockton. During his time in the AFC South, he appeared in 12 games and made two starts before joining New England in 2025.
The move marks the second settlement the Patriots have reached in the past week.
New England still has four players on injured reserve for the season, a group that includes running back Myles Montgomery, wide receivers Jimmy Kibble and Jeremiah Webb, and tight end Julian Hill.
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