New England Patriots
Prentice, who ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at Pro Day, had a brief stint with Carolina.
Kobe Prentice went undrafted in the spring. Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images
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The Patriots have been awarded wide receiver Kobe Prentice off waivers from the Panthers, according to a news release from the team.
Prentice is a rookie from Baylor. Carolina picked him up as an undrafted free agent before waiving him at the start of training camp.
The 5-foot-11, 190-pound receiver caught 26 passes for 380 yards and six touchdowns during his only season at Baylor.
The Calera, Alabama native spent the first three seasons of his college career at Alabama, but transferred after his touches dipped during his junior season.
Prentice ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at his pro day, and making an impact on special teams is likely his best shot at sticking on the roster.
The Patriots’ wide receiver room has become crowded following the additions of A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs. They’ve also brought back Mack Hollins, Kayshon Boutte, DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams, and Efton Chism, among others.
Patriots transactions:
🏈Claimed/awarded on waivers: WR/returner Kobe Prentice (Baylor)
🏈 Waived: OL Sebastian Gutierrez (Minot State)
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) July 25, 2026
New England had some issues with depth at the kick returner spots last year after Antonio Gibson went down with a season-ending injury.
Chism led the team with 16 attempts last season, totaling 383 yards at a clip of 23.9 yards per return. Gibson, who played just five games, was second with 12 attempts. Williams (11) and Henderson (9) rounded out the rest of the Patriots with more than five attempts.
All-Pro returner Marcus Jones fielded all 21 of the Patriots’ punt returns last season. New England did not use him on kick returns last year.
Prentice played in a reserve role for Baylor last season, appearing in 11 games with one start.
New England also waived offensive lineman Sebastien Gutierrez on Saturday.
Khari A. Thompson
Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.
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