ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 04: Head coach Mike Vrabel of the New England Patriots reacts after a play against the Buffalo Bills during the second quarter at Highmark Stadium on October 04, 2026 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images) Getty
The New England Patriots suffered a hard-fought loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 7, dropping their record to 4-3 so far this season. While the Pats have recovered from a slow start to the year, they are continuing to struggle with injuries, and it is beginning to make winning football games increasingly difficult.
One spot where New England was forced to adjust this season is the punter position, as starter Bryce Baringer was forced to begin the year on injured reserve. Mitch Wishnowsky was brought in to replace Baringer, and with his performance meeting the expectations of the Patriots' coaching staff, they have decided to fully commit to him moving forward.
New England selected Baringer in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and he spent the past three seasons operating as the team's starting punter. After a strong season in 2024, Baringer came back down to earth during the Patriots' Super Bowl run, and it seemed like the team could consider making a change at this position.
Instead, Baringer entered training camp seemingly set to reprise his role as the starter, but he suffered an undisclosed injury in the team's preseason clash against the Philadelphia Eagles that eventually resulted in him landing on injured reserve. Wishnowsky was brought in to replace him, and he hasn't looked back, as he's averaging 47.1 yards per punt, with 45.5% of his kicks landing within his opponents' 20-yard line.
With the Pats having so many injuries, bringing Baringer back from injured reserve seemed unlikely, especially with Wishnowsky more than holding his own. Rather than stashing him on injured reserve for the entire season, the front office has decided to simply release Baringer and allow him the opportunity to latch on with another team now that he is fully healthy.
Sources: The Patriots are releasing punter Bryce Baringer ," NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported in a post on X. "Baringer has been their full-time punter the last three years and is fully healthy after missing the start of the season."
GettyORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 04: Head coach Mike Vrabel of the New England Patriots reacts after a play against the Buffalo Bills during the second quarter at Highmark Stadium on October 04, 2026 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)
Baringer simply became a victim of a brutal numbers game that the Patriots are dealing with. The team only has eight slots it can use on players returning from injured reserve, and with injuries continuing to pile up, that made it less and less likely that Baringer would return to action this year. As a result, the team is parting ways with him and sticking with Wishnowsky for the rest of the season.
New England will return from its mini bye week and begin gearing up for a divisional matchup against the Miami Dolphins in Week 8. The Dolphins just picked up their first win of the year over the New York Jets on Sunday, but the Pats should be heavily favored to prevail in this contest, even amid their battle with the injury bug. Kickoff for this game is scheduled for 4:25 p.m. ET on Nov. 1.
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