The dust from the NFL’s 53-man roster deadline continues to settle in Foxborough.
The New England Patriots placed punter Bryce Baringer and linebacker Khalil Jacobs on injured reserve amid a series of moves announced Monday evening.
Both will be eligible to return to the active roster after missing a minimum of four games to start the 2026 regular season. Should their 21-day practice windows open on schedule, October’s matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders at Gillette Stadium can be circled on the calendar.
Baringer, 27, sustained an injury in the second game of the preseason that resulted in quarterback Behren Morton stepping on as the emergency punter. The Patriots closed out August with Matt Haack at the position and have since added veteran free agent Mitch Wishnowsky to the initial practice squad. Baringer, who landed in the sixth round of the 2023 draft at pick No. 192 overall, has appeared in all 51 games for New England since then and handled holding duties. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound incumbent out of Illinois and Michigan State has averaged 47.9 yards per punt with season longs of 79, 75 and 73 yards, respectively, during his tenure.
Jacobs, 23, outlasted the 53-man cutdown as an undrafted rookie despite missing the preseason finale due to injury. Prior to then, the 6-foot-1, 227-pound linebacker had a hand in eight tackles and made one start off the ball in August action. Signed in May, Jacobs spent two years at South Alabama and two years at Missouri. He appeared in all 13 games for the Tigers in 2025 on the way to notching 47 tackles and three sacks.
Tight end Cameron Latu and linebacker Darius Muasau were claimed off waivers by New England following the cutdown deadline. To make room on the active roster, the club released vested veterans in center Ben Brown and linebacker K.J. Britt.
