The New England Patriots released punter Bryce Baringer from injured reserve on Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, a move coach Mike Vrabel tied to the team’s long injury list and the NFL’s limited number of return spots from injured reserve. The team also re-signed linebacker Jose Ramirez to the practice squad and released offensive lineman Jacob Rizy from the practice squad, according to the Patriots’ official transactions page.
The moves came as the 4-3 Patriots returned to work after their 30-24 loss to the Bears in Chicago on Thursday, Oct. 22. New England plays at the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Nov. 1.
Why the Patriots released Bryce Baringer
Baringer, 27, was a sixth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He was placed on injured reserve on Aug. 31 after a lower-body injury suffered in the preseason, and veteran Mitch Wishnowsky has handled punting and holding duties since, The Boston Globe reported. Baringer averaged 47.9 yards per punt with the Patriots and ranks fourth in franchise history with 10,500 total punting yards, according to the Globe.
“I certainly appreciate what Bryce has been able to do for us,” Vrabel said before practice Monday, as quoted by the Globe. “Those are tough decisions. I don’t think those are things that you necessarily take lightly. Just felt like this was best for us, and best for Bryce, and give him an opportunity to go punt and see if somebody needs a punter.”
Vrabel added: “If we would need him back and he was there, we would want to have him back. It’s just … you kind of make a decision with a specialist, and as long as it’s going well — which I think it is, and everybody else does — you kind of just stick with it.”
Baringer’s wife, Bella, wrote on Instagram that he is “healthy and ready to punt” and that “with limited IR return spots available, the decision was made to release him so he could pursue an opportunity to play somewhere else this season,” the Globe reported.
Wishnowsky, 34, has averaged 47.1 yards per punt, 20th in the league, and has dropped 10 punts inside the opponents’ 20-yard line, according to the Globe. He said the specialists understood the situation. “I think if the options are sit on IR all year or get released and get a chance to play, I think it’s sort of in Bryce’s best interest to get a shot to play,” Wishnowsky said, per the Globe.
The injured reserve math
NFL teams can bring back eight players from injured reserve during a season. The Patriots have six of those return designations left, Pats Pulpit reported via Yahoo Sports. The team activated A.J. Brown from injured reserve on Oct. 17 and moved wide receiver Romeo Doubs to injured reserve on Oct. 19, according to the transactions page.
“The depth that you have at the position or the need and I don’t think it’s something that you really want to make a habit of but we’re in the position that we are,” Vrabel said Monday of managing the list, according to Pats Pulpit. “So kind of figuring out, one who’s healthy, who’s healthy enough to return. Some guys aren’t and then we’ll see where we go with the depth at each position.”
Injury updates: Vera-Tucker, Ben Brown, Bryant
The Patriots placed Vera-Tucker on injured reserve on Oct. 22 with a hamstring injury. Vrabel said Monday he does not expect it to be season-ending. “I don’t think it’s for the season, but I couldn’t tell you what short-term is determined by, however many weeks he has to be out,” he said, as quoted by Pats Pulpit. “It wasn’t going to be this week, so we figured it was going to be at least four games, so that’s why we made the decision that we made.”
Guard Ben Brown, who missed the Bears game with a knee injury suffered against the Jets, returned to practice Monday, Pats Pulpit reported. Vrabel said the team must decide this week on offensive tackle Marcus Bryant, whose 21-day window to be activated from injured reserve closes. Guard Greg Van Roten and safety Dell Pettus could return to practice this week, according to the report.
Pats Pulpit reported that Rhamondre Stevenson, Marcus Jones, Dre’Mont Jones, Christian Elliss, Robert Spillane, Kevin Byard, Hunter Henry and Morgan Moses were not on the practice field Monday as the team managed veterans’ workloads.
Recent Patriots coverage
Read our Patriots-Bears recap for more on the loss in Chicago. More is in the Boston Report Sports section.
Featured image: Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, home of the New England Patriots. Photo by Mark Goebel / Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY 2.0; cropped.
Sources
- New England Patriots: Official roster transactions, 2026
- The Boston Globe: Patriots release punter Bryce Baringer
- Pats Pulpit via Yahoo Sports: Mike Vrabel gives updates on injured Patriots
Additional sources
- NBC Sports / ProFootballTalk: Patriots releasing P Bryce Baringer off injured reserve
- New England Patriots: Inactives analysis, Vera-Tucker placed on IR
- NBC Sports Boston: Patriots injured reserve activations explained
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