Patriots Add Veteran Wideout Before Bills Matchup

After dressing only four wide receivers in Week 15, the Patriots added to the position group Wednesday.

There was a new locker assigned to Alex Erickson ahead of New England’s road matchup with the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Erickson signed to the Patriots practice squad, as announced by the team Wednesday afternoon. New England had an open spot after offensive tackle Liam Fornadel was released Tuesday.

Erickson most recently was with the Los Angeles Chargers, who had him on their practice squad for the bulk of the 2023 season. Prior to his stint with the Bolts, the Wisconsin product spent time with the Cincinnati Bengals, Houston Texans, Carolina Panthers, Washington Commanders and New York Jets. Erickson currently has 112 receptions for 232 yards with a pair of touchdowns in his NFL career.

Should the 32-year-old eventually see game action for New England, his responsibilities could go beyond receiving duties. Erickson led the NFL in kickoff return yards as a rookie in 2016. He’s also now the elder statesman in the Patriots’ wideout room, as the 2016 undrafted free agent entered the league one year before Kendrick Bourne.

As for Erickson’s new team, the Patriots will visit the Buffalo Bills on Sunday for their third-to-last game of the season.