The New England Patriots got back in the win column Sunday, coming back from 10 points down at halftime to beat the Miami Dolphins 24-19 on the road.
With a crucial home game coming up against the Green Bay Packers, the Patriots very quietly made a move to reinforce their depth at the linebacker position on Tuesday.
The Patriots are signing linebacker Elias Neal to their practice squad, less than a week after the Los Angeles Rams released him. The move was reported, by ESPN reporter Mike Reiss, who cited Neal’s agent, Sean Stellato. The Patriots had not officially announced the addition as of Tuesday afternoon.
New England’s linebacker room leans on starters Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss, and Neal arrives with a résumé built almost entirely on special teams.
Neal, 25, was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and played running back and linebacker at White Station High School. As a senior, he ran for 750 yards and 12 touchdowns, recorded 95 tackles and committed to Marshall as a two-star recruit. He is listed at 6 feet and 221 pounds.
He spent five seasons with the Thundering Herd and finished with 375 tackles, 32.5 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, five interceptions and five fumble recoveries. Neal earned third-team All-Sun Belt honors in 2023 and led Marshall in tackles in both 2022 and 2023.
Elias Neal’s Career With the Los Angeles Rams
Neal signed with Los Angeles as an undrafted free agent after the 2024 NFL Draft and made the Rams’ initial 53-man roster as a rookie. The team waived him on Oct. 21 of that year after five games, all on special teams, and he returned to the practice squad.
Neal stayed in the organization, signed reserve/futures deals after each season and shuttled between the practice squad and game-day elevations. The Rams elevated him for the NFC Championship Game against the Seattle Seahawks in January. The Rams elevated Neal twice in September, on Sept. 21 and Sept. 26. Across parts of three seasons, he has played in 10 games, playoffs included, logging 127 special-teams snaps with no starts and no defensive stats.
“Eli Neal is one of those guys that you feel because of the physicality,” Rams coach Sean McVay said, according to Sports Illustrated. McVay made the comment after a preseason game, and Neal was a special-teams contributor in the Rams’ postseason run.
Why Elias Neal Became Available to the Patriots
Los Angeles cut Neal, offensive lineman Austin Blaske and cornerback Nyzier Fourqurean from the practice squad last week, according to Field Level Media. The Rams, 3-4 at the time, used the shake-up to add kicker Joshua Karty, long snapper Jake McQuaide and linebacker Jon Rhattigan while trying to fix problems on special teams. Karty was a 2024 sixth-round pick of the Rams out of Stanford and was waived during the 2025 season.
Rhattigan, an Army product who entered the NFL in 2021, had logged 1,024 career special-teams snaps by October 2025, according to NBC Sports reporter Charean Williams. Neal has 127.
Neal never recorded a defensive stat with Los Angeles. The Rams elevated him for a game against the New York Giants this season even though linebackers Nate Landman, Omar Speights, Grant Stuard and Shaun Dolac were all healthy, according to Rams Wire.
Robert Spillane led New England in tackles last season, and the Patriots’ linebackers earned the league’s third-highest Pro Football Focus grade, 86.6 overall. The Patriots’ linebacker group lost depth this offseason, and K.J. Britt and Chad Muma are among the reserves behind Spillane and Elliss.
The Patriots have used extra linebackers on special teams to keep starters fresher for their defensive snaps. A game-day elevation lets Neal serve that function while remaining on the practice squad.
Patriots Quietly Make Move for Ex-Rams Linebacker Before Packers Game