Patriots Release Wide Receiver Ahead Of Week 11 Jets Matchup

The Patriots cut one player from their wide receiver room after returning from their bye week.

New England on Tuesday released wideout Lil’Jordan Humphrey from their practice squad.

Humphrey spent time on the Patriots’ 53-man roster earlier this season, appearing in each of the team’s first six games. The big-bodied 24-year-old caught just two passes on four targets for 20 yards but saw frequent playing time as a run-blocking specialist, with head coach Bill Belichick referring to him as a hybrid between a receiver and a tight end.

“He’s a good football player,” Belichick said in late September. “I’m glad we have him.”

Humphrey, a preseason standout who previously played for the New Orleans Saints, was cut on Oct. 11 following rookie wideout Tyquan Thornton’s return from injured reserve. He re-signed to the practice squad two days later and was not elevated for any of the Patriots’ last three games.

Tuesday’s roster move leaves the Patriots with five wide receivers on their active roster (Jakobi Meyers, DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, Nelson Agholor and Thornton) and two more on their P-squad (Lynn Bowden and Tre Nixon). Bowden was elevated for New England’s Week 9 win over the Indianapolis Colts and played 14 offensive snaps. Nixon, a seventh-round Patriots draft pick in 2021, has yet to make his regular-season NFL debut.

The 5-4 Patriots are preparing to host the 6-3 New York Jets this Sunday in a pivotal AFC East matchup at Gillette Stadium.