The Patriots signed Ricci (knee) to a reserve/future contract Monday. Ricci spent time with the Browns last offseason, but he was waived due to a knee injury back in August and never got another chance on an NFL squad during the 2024 campaign. Now that he's healthy, the journeyman tight end will get an opportunity to compete for a reserve role in New England's tight end corps.
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Status
ACTIVELatest Giovanni Ricci news
Other Patriots Players
Team
New England Patriots
Birthdate
10/16/1996 (28)
Status
Active
HT/WT
6'3", 245 lbs
Birthplace
Loveland, OH, USA
Position
TE
College
Western Michigan
Experience
4 seasons
Career History
Cleveland Browns
2024-2025
(1 season)
Carolina Panthers
2021-2024
(3 seasons)
The Patriots signed Ricci (knee) to a reserve/future contract Monday. Ricci spent time with the Browns last offseason, but he was waived due to a knee injury back in August and never got another chance on an NFL squad during the 2024 campaign. Now that he's healthy, the journeyman tight end will get an opportunity to compete for a reserve role in New England's tight end corps.
The Browns released Ricci (knee) with an injury settlement Thursday. Ricci injured his knee in Cleveland's second preseason game against Minnesota on Saturday. He was competing for a depth tight end spot on the Browns' 53-man roster, but now that he's been let go, he'll look to catch on with a team once he's fully healthy. Ricci played in five regular-season games for the Panthers in 2023, finishing with one catch for two yards while playing 100 snaps (12 on offense, 88 on special teams).
Coach Kevin Stefanski said Sunday that Ricci (knee) is expected to miss "a few weeks," Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports. Ricci picked up a knee issue during Saturday's preseason game versus the Vikings, and it sounds like it could compromise his availability for Week 1 of the regular season. Until he can come back, rookie undrafted free agent Treyton Welch could see increased reps.
Ricci injured his knee during Saturday's exhibition game against Minnesota and has been ruled out from returning, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports. It's not yet clear how severe Ricci's injury is or whether it will cause him to miss time beyond Saturday's contest. Prior to getting hurt, the 27-year-old put up a strong stat line with four catches on four targets for 32 yards against the Vikings. If Ricci's knee issue doesn't prove to be serious, he has a good shot of making the Browns' 53-man roster as the No. 3 tight end. He's also capable of lining up at fullback.
Ricci (shoulder) and the Browns agreed on a one-year contract Wednesday, Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer reports. Ricci spent the last three seasons with the Panthers before the team decided to not tender him Friday and he'll now get a fresh start with the Browns. The 27-year-old will have an opportunity to operate in an offense that includes Deshaun Watson, Nick Chubb (knee) and Amari Cooper, amongst others.
The Panthers decided not to tender Ricci on Friday, Joe Person of The Athletic reports. The 27-year-old tight end could very well be on the move this offseason after the Panthers chose to not tender him Friday. Across his three years in Carolina, Ricci caught nine of his 12 targets for 102 yards while also contributing on special teams. Ricci has a chance to compete for a depth/special teams role if he's picked up by a team this offseason.
Ricci was ruled out for the Panthers' Week 6 contest against the Dolphins after aggravating his shoulder injury during practice. The third-year tight end from Western Michigan has played mostly on special teams with the emergence of rookie Sam LaPorta. Ricci will now miss at least the next four games and will be eligible to return in Week 12 against the titans on Nov. 26.