The New England Patriots won their third straight game Sunday, and fourth in their last five, when they outlasted the New York Jets for a hard-fought 26-19 victory.
But the win was a disastrous one as injuries continue to plague the Patriots, particularly on the offensive line where New England saw three key players go down on Sunday.
The morning after the game, Patriots coach Mike Vrabel announced a decision that appears designed to address the sudden crisis on the OL.
The Patriots, Vrabel announced, signed center/guard Andrew Rupcich to the practice squad Monday, adding interior depth after three offensive linemen were injured in Sunday’s win over the Jets.
With a short week and a Thursday night date with the Chicago Bears, the Patriots now must find enough healthy bodies up front to field a functioning line.
“Guys that been here previously to help us here as we move forward,” head coach Mike Vrabel said of Rupcich and fellow interior lineman Jacob Rizy, as quoted by Sports Illustrated. Both players spent the summer with New England working on the backup units.
Andrew Rupcich’s Path to the Patriots
Rupcich stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 325 pounds. He played at Culver-Stockton College, an NAIA program, where he earned three All-American honors, according to WGEM.
Vrabel has shown an affinity for Rupcich for several years. The Tennessee Titans signed him as an undrafted rookie free agent on May 13, 2022, with Vrabel running the franchise as head coach. Rupcich spent all of 2022 on the practice squad. He stayed there for the first 12 games of 2023, then moved to the 53-man roster and played five games with two starts at right guard. In 2024, he appeared in seven games as a reserve before finishing the year on injured reserve, WGEM reported.
Tennessee released him from the practice squad Sept. 29, 2025. New England signed him the next day.
“It’s a childhood dream and it’s going to be forever a dream come true,” Rupcich said of reaching the NFL, as quoted by Wildcat Wire.
This summer, he worked as a backup guard and center and took reps with the starting unit, according to Sports Illustrated. A lower-body injury in the preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts ended that run. New England placed him on injured reserve, then released him with an injury settlement.
Rupcich Signing and Jared Wilson’s Role
Right tackle Morgan Moses left Sunday with an ankle injury, on top of a foot injury he has battled for four weeks. Left guard Alijah Vera-Tucker went out with a hamstring injury. Ben Brown, who started at right guard, left with a knee injury, his second of the season, according to The Boston Globe.
Guards Mike Onwenu and Greg Van Roten are already on injured reserve, and tackle Marcus Bryant is working his way back from IR. The line has cycled through 14 different combinations this season, the Globe reported. When Brown went down, Walter Rouse was the only lineman left on the bench.
“I’ve never seen so many people get hurt,” said Matt Pryor, a veteran of eight NFL seasons, as quoted by the Globe.
The practice squad already held interior linemen Jake Kubas, who has five games of NFL experience, and Xavier Newman-Johnson, who has 25, including four under Vrabel in Tennessee. Rupcich and Rizy join them.
Jared Wilson, a 2025 third-round pick, returned to his natural position at center this offseason after the Patriots traded Garrett Bradbury. Wilson has stayed there through the injuries. Pryor said Wilson and left tackle Will Campbell relayed the calls to him Sunday.
Neither Vrabel’s comments nor the reporting on the signings points to a change in Wilson’s assignment. Sports Illustrated describes both Rupcich and Rizy as center/guards, which lets New England cover either spot without shifting its starting center.
“We’ll just have to figure out who we have available and find 48 to put out there,” Vrabel said, as quoted by the Globe.
Patriots Announce Offensive Line Decision After Jets Injury Disaster