The New England Patriots are making some changes to the back-end of their roster.
According to a source, the team is releasing undrafted center Jacob Rizy from the practice squad. Rizy - a rookie who signed with the Patriots out of Florida State this offseason - was one of three offensive linemen on the practice squad, along with guard Jake Kubas and tackle Lorenz Metz .
This move was first reported by Andrew Callahan of The Boston Herald .
Rizy spent most of the summer repping as the third center behind Jared Wilson and Ben Brown . After Brown went down with a knee injury during the preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts , that pushed Rizy up a notch on the depth chart.
He remained in the backup center job for the remainder of the preseason, looking the part and potentially fighting for a roster spot. He was released during roster cuts in late August, but quickly signed with the Patriots' practice squad after clearing waivers.
In college, Rizy played five years split between Harvard and Florida State. He played 45 career games and was an First Team All-Ivy League lineman in 2023 for the Crimson. He played left guard, center, right guard and right tackle during his collegiate career before primarily repping at center since arriving in the NFL.
Aug 22, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots offensive lineman Jacob Rizy (64) in the first half against the Philadelphia Eagles at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Edward Finan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
"I don't really know what to expect. It's the NFL. I've only ever played high school and then college, and I knew this would be a step up," Rizy said during training camp. "Just trying to find my way around, get better every day. Trying to get 1% better ever day."
One thing that you can take away from this transaction is that Brown is healthy enough to do more in practice. Rizy's role was predicated on Brown's health, and now that the veteran has returned to the practice field, the Patriots might not have felt the same need to have additional interior backups on the roster.
Brown was recently listed as a limited participant during the team's initial Week 2 injury report ahead of the home opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers .
They also filled this need by signing veteran Greg Van Roten back in August, who's gotten more of the center/guard snaps with the second-string offense. He played a few snaps in the season opener as a jumbo tight end.
The Patriots now have one open roster spot on their practice squad ahead of Thursday's practice. Free agent guard Xavier Newman-Johnson was recently at the facility for a visit, according to the NFL transaction log, potentially signaling who could replace Rizy in the locker room.
Jun 10, 2026; Florham Park, NY, USA; New York Jets offensive lineman Xavier Newman (65) participates in a drill during minicamp at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
UPDATE: The Patriots announced that they signed Newman-Johnson, who was present in the locker room and at practice Thursday, to the practice squad. He was wearing No. 64 - last worn by Rizy.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/patriots/onsi as Source: Patriots Release Undrafted Rookie OL, Open Up Roster Spot .
