The New England Patriots added a four-year NFL veteran to their thin tight end room Tuesday, signing former Miami Dolphin Tanner Conner to the practice squad, in a move first reported by Mike Reiss of ESPN.com.
The move gives coach Mike Vrabel a proven body to call on if rookie Eli Raridon’s thigh injury lingers into next week’s trip to Jacksonville.
New England made the addition the same day it placed guard Mike Onwenu on injured reserve and signed punter Mitch Wishnowsky to the 53-man roster.
Conner arrived on the heels of a Monday workout that Reiss first reported. The Patriots brought in four free-agent tight ends for tryouts, and Conner’s name rose to the top of the list.
Devin Culp of Washington, Lance Mason of Wisconsin and Australian tight end Patrick Murtagh also took reps that day, though Conner’s NFL mileage separated him from that group.
Tanner Conner’s Path to the New England Patriots
Conner, 28, grew up in Kent, Washington, and starred at Kentridge High School as a defensive back, receiver and hurdler. He won a state championship in the 300-meter hurdles and was recruited more heavily for track than football.
At Idaho State, he converted that speed into a five-year receiving career, catching 136 passes for 2,384 yards and 15 touchdowns from 2016 through 2021. He earned first-team All-Big Sky honors in spring 2021 after 34 catches for 685 yards and three touchdowns.
Conner also thrived on the track, winning the Big Sky indoor title in the 60-meter hurdles and setting a conference record of 7.73 seconds, according to the Idaho State Journal.
He also picked up a criminology degree with a psychology minor at Idaho State, then a graduate degree in athletic administration.
His father Andy Conner played linebacker at Oregon and spent time on Seattle and St. Louis preseason rosters.
Miami signed Conner as an undrafted free agent in 2022 and converted him to tight end. He spent four seasons with the Dolphins before finishing 2025 on the Giants‘ practice squad. New York released him Aug. 30. His NFL resume now includes 12 catches for 107 yards over 33 games.
New England Patriots’ Tight End Depth Chart Takes a Hit
Hunter Henry remains the unquestioned starter and a team captain. Raridon, a third-round pick out of Notre Dame, had posted the biggest catch of his rookie season, a 30-yard grab, before he limped out of Sunday’s 20-3 win over Pittsburgh.
New England had already moved on from tight end Shane Zylstra, releasing him from the practice squad Sept. 15 to bring back safety Elliott Davison, according to the team’s updated tight end depth chart.
That left Henry and waiver claim Cameron Latu as the only healthy tight ends on the field. Undrafted rookie Tanner Arkin, a blocking specialist, sat out that game as a healthy scratch, and free-agent addition Julian Hill has been on injured reserve since June with a knee injury.
The Patriots aren’t expecting Conner to push for targets. His NFL history points to a depth and special-teams role, the kind of assignment where his converted-receiver athleticism and tryout-day experience matter more than raw production. If Raridon can’t go in Jacksonville, New England now has a tested option ready to be elevated on short notice.
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