The New England Patriots will kick off the entire 2026 NFL slate with a Super Bowl rematch against the Seattle Seahawks. But beforehand, the Patriots conducted a bit of procedural roster business.
According to the NFL transaction wire, New England waived third-year defensive tackle Isaiah Iton from the reserve/injured list. Iton and the Patriots reached an injury settlement.
The defensive tackle will be eligible to sign with a new team once fully healthy.
The Patriots originally waived Iton with an injury designation on roster cutdown day, which was August 30. Iton returned to the Patriots injured list after going unclaimed on waivers.
Before Wednesday, Iton had been with the Patriots for a year and a half. But unfortunately, the defensive tackle suffered serious injuries during both training camps in which he spent in New England.
Patriots Reach Injury Settlement With DT Isaiah Iton
Iton began his NFL career as an undrafted free agent for the Tennessee Titans in 2024. He signed with the Titans after spending his final college season at Rutgers.
The defensive tackle spent his rookie campaign on the Titans practice squad. He appeared to be heading for another season in Tennessee, as he signed a futures deal with the team in January 2025. However, the Titans released Iton in April.
A few weeks later, he joined the Patriots.
This past offseason, New England didn’t tender him a contract as an exclusive rights free agent. But he still returned to the Patriots by training camp in July.
According to SB Nation’s Pats Pulpit, Iton played 77 defensive snaps before suffering his injury, which was undisclosed.
Iton began his collegiate career at community college. He also played at Ole Miss. Over three seasons at the Power 4 level, Iton posted 62 combined tackles, including four for loss and one sack in 36 games.
Patriots Set for Super Bowl Rematch vs. Seahawks
With all due respect to Iton, the move isn’t likely to create a major stir in the media or fan base. The defensive tackle was released hours prior to the Patriots kicking off against the Seahawks.
New England is seeking revenge in Week 1 for its Super Bowl defeat last February. It’s the league’s first Super Bowl rematch in 10 years when the Carolina Panthers visited the Denver Broncos. The defending champion Broncos edged the Panthers 21-20 in that season opener.
The Seahawks have the roster to repeat, and history won’t be on New England’s side Wednesday night. Since 2014, defending Super Bowl champions in Week 1 own an 8-3 record. Two of those losses occurred this decade, but even including that, the defending champs have rebounded to win the past two Week 1 openers.
The Patriots, though, hope new wide receiver A.J. Brown and the departure of Seahawks Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III could make a difference.
Kickoff for the game will occur at 8:20 pm ET at Lumen Field.
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