Patriots Sign Tight End To Active Roster On Eve Of Season Finale

The Patriots must have liked what they saw from La'Michael Pettway.

New England on Saturday promoted Pettway from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, clearing the tight end to potentially play in Sunday's season finale against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium.

Pettway signed to the Patriots' P-squad Dec. 26 following a successful tryout. The 26-year-old's only NFL experience to date came with the Indianapolis Colts this past preseason. He also played two seasons in the USFL with the Michigan Panthers and Birmingham Stallions.

Pettway's new contract runs through the 2024 season, according to a report from KPRC's Aaron Wilson. The Iowa State product celebrated the promotion on social media.

"God I can't thank you enough," Pettway wrote on the X platform, "you are the greatest!!"

To clear a roster spot for Pettway, the Patriots placed tight end Hunter Henry on injured reserve. Henry, who has not played since suffering a knee injury in Week 15, already had been ruled out for Sunday's game.

New England also elevated tight end Matt Sokol and offensive tackle Andrew Stueber from the practice squad Saturday. It'll have four available tight ends against the Jets (Pettway, Sokol, Mike Gesicki and Pharaoh Brown), which could hint at a run-heavy game plan in what's expected to be snowy weather.

It's the third consecutive elevation for Sokol and the second straight for Stueber, who likely will back up starting tackles Mike Onwenu and Vederian Lowe. Left tackle Trent Brown was ruled out due to illness.