The New England Patriots had a strange preseason moment turn into a roster move after punter Bryce Barringer left Week 2 against the Philadelphia Eagles with an undisclosed injury.
Barringer’s exit forced quarterback Behren Morton into punting duty, a viral sequence in the game. But the bigger development came later, when head coach Mike Vrabel made it clear the Patriots are preparing to bring in help at the position.
“Serious enough that we will have to sign a new punter,” Vrabel said.
That leaves Barringer’s return date very much up in the air. At minimum, he is expected to miss time in training camp, and with Week 1 of the regular season approaching quickly, there’s real uncertainty about whether he’ll be ready by opening kickoff. Because the injury has not been disclosed, there’s no way to pin down the timeline beyond that.
Who New England adds next at punter should offer some clue about how the team views Barringer’s recovery. A veteran with starting experience would suggest a longer absence, while a less proven option like an undrafted free agent would point to more optimism.
For now, the only certainty is that the Patriots need another punter soon, and they want to avoid any real drop-off on special teams while Barringer is sidelined.
UPDATE: The Patriots have signed Matt Haack, via Daniels. He has spent nine seasons in the NFL, appearing in 110 games for six different franchises.
Overall, he has averaged 45 yards per punt over his tenure. Through his 25 punts through seven games with the Arizona Cardinals in 2025, Haack averaged 51.3 YPP.
He’ll now take over punting duties as long as needed, and how he performs on the field will determine how long he keeps the job.
In Other News...
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Patriots May Have Found An Unusual Roster Keeper In Behren Morton
The Patriots already have their quarterback pecking order settled with Drake Maye locked in as the starter and Tommy DeVito in the backup role, but preseason has a way of creating a different kind of conversation deeper on the roster. Rookie Behren Morton has quietly made himself part of that discussion, not because he is threatening the top of the chart, but because he has played well enough to keep hanging around.
Morton sits seventh on the depth chart, yet his value may extend beyond the usual emergency quarterback label. He helped lead a game-winning drive in a preseason win and also brings backup punter versatility, which gives New England something a little uncommon to consider as roster decisions get tighter. For a team that likes functional depth, Morton has at least made it interesting. [Read more 🡒]