The New England Patriots are opening another spot on the practice squad, and the timing makes their recent offensive line activity worth watching.
Per Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald, New England is waiving rookie offensive lineman Jacob Rizy from the practice squad. The move comes one day after the Patriots hosted veteran interior lineman Xavier Newman-Johnson for a free-agent visit, although there has been no report directly connecting the two developments.
Rizy had spent the entire summer with New England after signing as an undrafted free agent in May. The 6-foot-5, 306-pound rookie gave the Patriots versatility at several spots and played his way into a larger role during the preseason after injuries thinned the interior line.
The Patriots haven’t announced what they intend to do with the newly opened practice-squad spot.
Rizy Earned Bigger Role After Patriots Injuries
Rizy entered camp as a developmental piece, but his opportunity expanded when backup center Ben Brown suffered a lower-body injury in the preseason opener against the Colts.
He stepped in and handled 55 consecutive snaps to finish the game, then started the Patriots’ final two preseason contests at center. New England’s official game notes credited him with starts against the Eagles and Browns after he initially came off the bench against Indianapolis.
His work was enough to draw praise from head coach Mike Vrabel during camp.
“He’s battled, he’s competed, he’s studied,” Vrabel said in August, via Sports Illustrated.
The Patriots still waived Rizy during final roster cuts on Aug. 30 before bringing him back to the practice squad after he cleared waivers. New England’s transaction log confirmed his return as part of its first wave of practice-squad additions.
Rizy also brought a fairly unusual college stint to New England. He spent three seasons at Harvard before transferring to Florida State for his final two years. Via his official Patriots biography, he appeared in 45 college games with 27 starts and lined up at left guard, center, right guard and right tackle.
He was a two-time All-Ivy League selection at Harvard, earning first-team honors in 2023. At Florida State, he helped a Seminoles offense that finished 11th nationally in rushing in 2025.
That background, along with his preseason workload, made him one of New England’s more experienced developmental blockers despite his rookie status.
Patriots Recently Hosted Veteran Interior Lineman
Rizy’s waiver comes shortly after the Patriots took a look at Newman-Johnson, who visited Foxborough on Wednesday.
Newman-Johnson, 27, has considerably more NFL experience. The former Baylor lineman entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Titans in 2022, when Vrabel was Tennessee’s head coach, and later spent time with the Jets.
He has appeared in 25 NFL games with five starts and has experience at left guard, right guard and center. Pats Pulpit reported that Newman-Johnson logged 338 offensive snaps and 68 special-teams snaps during his career before finishing last season on injured reserve.
That positional flexibility resembles some of what Rizy offered while adding a player who has already handled regular-season NFL snaps.
New England already carries substantial interior depth on the active roster, but the Patriots have continued exploring outside options since setting their initial 53-man group. Newman-Johnson’s workout offered another example of the staff keeping tabs on available help up front.
Whether he becomes the next addition remains to be seen. What is clear is that New England now has an open practice-squad spot less than 24 hours after bringing the veteran lineman in for a closer look.
Patriots Waive Former Florida State OL Following Veteran Visit: Report