Patriots Waive Running Back, Bring Back Kicker After Beating Jets

The Patriots cleared out a spot on their 53-man roster one day after defeating the New York Jets.

New England on Monday waived third-year running back J.J. Taylor.

Taylor was promoted from the practice squad on Nov. 5 and appeared in one game for the Patriots, carrying 10 times for 9 yards in a Week 9 win over the Indianapolis Colts. He was a healthy scratch for the Jets game, which the Patriots won 10-3 on a Marcus Jones punt-return touchdown in the final seconds.

If Taylor clears waivers, he could return to New England’s practice squad. The Arizona product has spent his entire NFL career with the Patriots since signing as an undrafted rookie in 2020.

Monday’s move leaves the Patriots with four rostered running backs: Rhamondre Stevenson, Damien Harris and rookies Pierre Strong and Kevin Harris. Strong and Kevin Harris have seen minimal offensive playing time this season, and the latter has been active for just one game.

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It’s unclear how the Patriots plan to fill their newly vacant roster spot as they prepare to visit the Minnesota Vikings on Thanksgiving night. They could use it to add extra offensive line depth with center David Andrews and tackle/guard Isaiah Wynn both dealing with injuries suffered during Sunday’s game.

If Andrews and Wynn both cannot play Thursday in Minnesota, UDFA center/guard Kody Russey would be the only O-line reserve on New England’s roster. The Patriots also have interior linemen Bill Murray and Hayden Howerton and offensive tackle Hunter Thedford on their practice squad, all of whom have yet to appear in a regular-season NFL game.

The Patriots also re-signed kicker Tristan Vizcaino to their practice squad Monday. Vizcaino spent training camp and the first two months of the season with New England as Nick Folk’s understudy, then kicked in one game for the Arizona Cardinals. Folk missed two field goals in windy conditions in Sunday’s narrow win over New York.