The New England Patriots didn’t wait long to start addressing one of the injuries that piled up during Sunday’s 20-3 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported Monday that New England brought in four free-agent tight ends for workouts: Tanner Conner, Devin Culp, Lance Mason and Patrick Murtagh.
The workouts make sense after rookie Eli Raridon left the Steelers game with a thigh injury and didn’t return.
Raridon had just produced the biggest offensive play of his young NFL career, a 30-yard reception, before exiting. He now has two catches for 32 yards and a touchdown through two games after New England selected him with the No. 95 pick in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Patriots haven’t announced a timetable for Raridon.
Patriots Survey Veteran and Rookie Options at Tight End
The most experienced candidate is Conner, who appeared in 33 games for Miami from 2022 through 2025.
The former Idaho State wide receiver converted to tight end after entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent and has 12 career receptions for 107 yards. New York released him at the end of August following his offseason with the club.
Culp also brings regular-season experience.
Tampa Bay selected the Washington product in the seventh round of the 2024 draft, and he played in 18 games over two seasons. He caught six passes for 94 yards and a touchdown before the Buccaneers waived him during final cuts this summer and later released him from the practice squad.
Mason is a younger developmental option.
The undrafted rookie finished his final season at Wisconsin with 30 catches for a team-high 398 yards and four touchdowns, earning second-team All-Big Ten honors from the conference’s coaches. He spent portions of the offseason with Seattle and Pittsburgh before the Steelers waived him on Aug. 30.
Murtagh has the most uncommon journey of the group.
The Australian tight end is a former national-level decathlete and Australian rules football player who entered the league through the NFL’s International Player Pathway program. He has spent time with Detroit, Jacksonville and Denver while maturing at the position.
Raridon’s Injury Creates Depth Question
The workouts come less than a week after New England released veteran tight end Shane Zylstra from its practice squad. Zylstra had 35 games of NFL experience, but the Patriots moved on Sept. 15 when they brought safety Elliott Davison back to the practice squad.
Raridon’s injury changed things quickly.
Hunter Henry remains the clear starter and a team captain, while Cameron Latu has dressed for both games this season. Undrafted rookie Tanner Arkin made the initial 53-man roster as a blocking-oriented option but was inactive against Pittsburgh.
When Raridon exited Sunday, the Patriots were left with Henry and Latu as their two available tight ends.
That helps explain why New England cast a relatively wide net Monday. Conner and Culp have enough NFL experience for solid depth, and Mason and Murtagh are two developmental profiles if the goal is a practice-squad addition.
Raridon had started to carve out a role behind Henry, but regardless, the workout doesn’t reveal how much time Raridon might miss. It does show the Patriots are preparing for the possibility that their rookie tight end won’t be ready when the offense heads to Jacksonville.
Patriots Work Out All-Big Ten TE, 33-Game NFL Veteran Following Eli Raridon Injury