FOXBORO, Mass. — Bill Belichick rarely confirms reported roster moves during his news conferences, but he made an exception Wednesday for Jordan Richards.
Belichick acknowledged Richards, a safety/linebacker/special teamer who played three seasons for the New England Patriots from 2015 to 2017, had re-signed with the team. The Patriots officially announced the signing moments later.
“We think he might have a role for us,” Belichick said. “We’ll see how it goes. We’re dealing with a few things here. We’ll see how it all plays out. I’m not sure exactly what it is yet, but he has experience. He’s a smart kid. He’s played for us in the kicking game and on defense. So we’ll see.”
Richards, who had toiled in free agency since the Oakland Raiders released him at the end of August, is considered one of Belichick’s biggest draft whiffs. The Patriots selected him in the second round in 2015 and, after a rocky 2017 campaign capped by a brutal performance in Super Bowl LII, traded him to the Atlanta Falcons for a seventh-round pick before the end of his rookie contract.
With superb depth in the secondary, New England likely will use Richards primarily in the kicking game. He led the team in special teams snaps played in 2017, and the Patriots are dealing with injuries to a few core special teamers. Rex Burkhead clearly was limited with a foot injury during Sunday’s win over the Buffalo Bills, and Nate Ebner was listed as questionable for that game with a groin issue.
Richards made his return to Patriots practice Wednesday wearing No. 39 — the No. 37 he wore during his first stint now belongs to rookie running back Damien Harris — and could make his season debut Sunday against the Washington Redskins.
