NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - AUGUST 25: Niko Lalos #57 of the New Orleans Saints in action against the Tennessee Titans at Mercedes Benz Superdome on August 25, 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) Getty
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - OCTOBER 12: Julian Ashby #47 of the New England Patriots and Blake Grupe #19 of the New Orleans Saints pose for a photo after the game at Caesars Superdome on October 12, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) Getty
The New England Patriots are adding competition at one of football's most specialized positions with the regular season getting closer.
ESPN's Mike Reiss reported Monday that Niko Lalos is returning to New England and signing with the Patriots. Lalos spent part of the spring with the team and will now push second-year long snapper Julian Ashby for the job.
The move gives New England a second look at one of the more unusual specialists in the league.
Lalos is a 6-foot-5, 269-pound converted defensive end who has appeared in six NFL games, giving him a much different background than the typical long snapper.
GettyNEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – AUGUST 25: Niko Lalos #57 of the New Orleans Saints in action against the Tennessee Titans at Mercedes Benz Superdome on August 25, 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Lalos' path back to Foxborough has included several stops and a position switch.
He entered the NFL as an undrafted defensive end out of Dartmouth in 2020 and landed with the New York Giants . Lalos appeared in six games as a rookie and recorded an interception and a fumble recovery before spending the following season on New York's practice squad.
He later spent time with the New Orleans Saints and played for the Seattle Sea Dragons of the XFL.
Eventually, Lalos began working as a long snapper, a move that gave the former defensive lineman another route back into the NFL. He received a tryout with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2025 after making the position change.
New England first signed Lalos on March 16 after a workout. The Patriots' announcement listed him at 6-foot-5 and 269 pounds and detailed his previous NFL and XFL stops. The team released him May 20 , ending a spring stint that lasted just over two months.
The Patriots are now circling back.
His defensive background makes the competition worth watching beyond the snap itself.
Lalos has considerably more size than Ashby and experience playing on defense and special teams. At 29, he's also trying to make the transition at a point when most players at his original position would already be well established.
GettyNEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – OCTOBER 12: Julian Ashby #47 of the New England Patriots and Blake Grupe #19 of the New Orleans Saints pose for a photo after the game at Caesars Superdome on October 12, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)
Ashby has the advantage of continuity.
The Patriots selected him with the 251st overall pick in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and he immediately took over the long-snapping duties. Per his official Patriots bio , Ashby handled snaps on punts and field goals in all 17 regular-season games, then remained in the role for four postseason games during New England's run to Super Bowl LX.
His rookie year included the snap on a game-winning 52-yard field goal at Buffalo. He also contributed three special teams tackles during the regular season and assisted on another in the AFC Championship Game.
That track record gives Ashby a head start, but New England's decision to bring Lalos back suggests the position will not simply be handed over without another evaluation.
Lalos is joining the roster during the heart of training camp, when every practice rep can matter in a specialist competition. He brings size, a defensive background and enough intrigue for the Patriots to take another look.
Meanwhile, Ashby has a full NFL season of consistency on his side.
New England has suddenly made long snapper a position battle worth tracking.
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