The New England Patriots are adding an alternative at punter with Bryce Baringer’s status uncertain ahead of Week 1.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Patriots are signing veteran Mitch Wishnowsky to their practice squad. Wishnowsky, who spent the 2025 season with the Buffalo Bills, is in New England for a physical and is expected to provide insurance at the position.
The move comes after Buffalo decided to release Wishnowsky during final roster cuts. Rookie Tommy Doman won the Bills’ punting job, sending the 34-year-old veteran onto the open market.
New England didn’t have to wait long to bring him across the AFC East.
Patriots Add Insurance Behind Baringer
Baringer’s health became a question after New England’s 24-21 preseason win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Aug. 22.
The fourth-year punter handled two punts for 91 yards before head coach Mike Vrabel pulled him. Vrabel said afterward that Baringer “wasn’t feeling great” following those attempts, prompting rookie quarterback Behren Morton to handle three punts for the rest of the game.
The Patriots responded by signing veteran Matt Haack two days later. Haack served as a temporary replacement during the final week of the preseason, but New England released him while reaching its initial 53-man roster.
Baringer still made the roster. Patriots.com noted Sunday that his Week 1 availability remains uncertain, with New England scheduled to open against the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 9.
Rather than circling back to Haack, the Patriots are bringing in Wishnowsky.
He punted 38 times for Buffalo in 2025, averaging 45.3 yards per attempt while placing 18 punts inside the 20-yard line. The Bills re-signed him to a one-year deal in March before Doman ultimately won the summer competition.
If Baringer can’t play in Seattle, New England could elevate Wishnowsky from the practice squad for the opener.
Wishnowsky Brings 7 Seasons of NFL Experience
Wishnowsky arrives in Foxborough with more exploits than the typical post-cutdown addition.
The San Francisco 49ers selected him in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL draft at No. 110 overall. He spent six seasons in San Francisco and was part of two teams that reached the Super Bowl.
Across seven NFL seasons, Wishnowsky has punted 347 times for 15,820 yards, good for a 45.6-yard career average. His best full-season mark came in 2023, when he averaged 47.7 yards on 52 punts.
His credentials stretch back to Utah.
Wishnowsky won the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s top collegiate punter in 2016 and earned consensus All-America recognition that season. He later received AP second-team All-America honors in 2018 before San Francisco drafted him the following spring.
After his 49ers tenure ended in 2025, Wishnowsky briefly spent time on Washington’s practice squad before Buffalo signed him Sept. 30. He went on to handle the Bills’ punting duties for the remainder of the season.
Baringer is New England’s primary option after averaging 47.4 yards per punt in 2025. Keeping him on the active roster suggests the Patriots expect his absence, if there is one, to be manageable.
Wishnowsky gives Vrabel a veteran fallback while that situation sorts itself out.