Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Aug 24, 2026 6:00 PM
The New England Patriots have added an interior offensive lineman and punter to the roster to bolster depth and combat injuries sustained during the preseason.
It didn’t take the New England Patriots long to add to the roster after sustaining several more injuries during Saturday night’s preseason win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
According to reports by Sophie Weller and Ethan Hurwitz, New England signed guard Jack Conley and punter Matt Haack to the 90-man roster. The signings occur just six days before the cutdown to 53 players takes place, and both carry the expectations of immediate contributions for Thursday night’s preseason finale against the Cleveland Browns.
G Jack Conley
Jul 28, 2025; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots offensive lineman Jack Conley (74) heads to the practice fields for training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn ImagesConley, 25, was originally signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent from Boston College on April 29, 2025. He spent the early portion of the regular season with New England’s practice squad before his release on September 30, 2025, and had stints with the Detroit Lions and Cleveland before being waived by the Browns on August 18. He has yet to see the field in the regular season, but has experience repping at both guard and tackle.
The Patriots offensive line took another hit this week when swing-tackle hopeful Marcus Bryant left Saturday’s game after suffering an ankle injury just five snaps into the opening drive. After losing center Ben Brown and guard Andrew Rupcich to injury in the preseason opener, New England’s depth up-front was thinning quickly. Conley is the second signing in as many weeks to bolster the offensive line, as veteran guard Greg Van Roten (36) was added last week. Van Roten did not take any competitive reps in joint practices or preseason game two against Philadelphia.
Without Bryant, Brown, or Rupcich available in the short-term, Conley will bring much-needed depth to the interior of the offensive line. Tackle James Hudson III has moved primarily to right guard as a stop-gap in the preseason, but has been notable in both games for the wrong reasons: penalties, missed assignments, and hits on the quarterback have been the norm with him along the interior. Hudson has led a group of undrafted free agents, including Mehki Butler (2025), Jacob Rizy, JonDarius Morgan, Darrian Dalcourt, and Joseph Michalski. Conley will help provide relief if he’s able to play on Thursday night, and is a candidate to stick around on the practice squad if the coaching staff has been underwhelmed with the performances they’ve received from others in the room.
P Matt Haack
Dec 7, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals punter Matt Haack (39) against the Los Angeles Rams at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesHaack, 32, is a veteran of nine years and has previously played for the Miami Dolphins (2017-2020), Buffalo Bills (2021), Indianapolis Colts (2022), Cleveland (2023), New York Giants (2024), and Arizona Cardinals (2025). He appeared in seven games for Arizona last season, and has not seen action in all 17 regular season games since 2022 in Indianapolis. On 478 career punts, he’s averaged 45.0 yards per kick with a net average of 39.9 yards.
The addition of a punter comes after Bryce Baringer left Saturday’s game with an undisclosed injury after two kicks in the first half. When asked about the potential of signing another punter at his media availability earlier today, head coach Mike Vrabel commented:
Q: Mike, are you guys going to have to bring in a new punter with Bryce [Baringer]’s injury?
MV: Yeah, I think we will, so we’ll probably sign somebody here shortly.
Q: How serious with Bryce [Baringer]?
MV: Serious enough that we’ll probably have to sign a new punter.
Q: Did it happen in the game?
MV: It happened in the game, yes. I mean – I would not make him go out and kick while he was injured, if that is what you are asking. But yeah, it was something that occurred during the game, which is why the quarterback had to punt.
Playing out 2026 on the final year of his rookie contract, it was expected that Baringer would see competition this offseason. Instead, his strong performance through training camp seemingly positioned him as the most secure specialist on the roster. Now sidelined indefinitely, a second leg enters the room as cutdown day quickly approaches.
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