The New England Patriots are reportedly making a roster move on the special teams front.
As reported by NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Patriots are releasing veteran punter Bryce Baringer. The 27-year-old, who has been the team's top punter since being drafted in 2023, was currently on IR for an injury suffered in the preseason.
Baringer was the Patriots' sixth round pick in 2023 and won the job as a rookie. In the seasons that's followed, he punted in 51 games, tallying 219 total punts for 10,500 yards. He had not missed a game prior to his injury.
In the Patriots' second preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Baringer would leave the game and be replaced by rookie quarterback Behren Morton. He would be placed on IR as part of roster cuts, but without a designation to return.
All season, the Patriots have been struck by the injury bug - leaving a numbers crunch for them to deal with.
Jun 9, 2025; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots punter Bryce Baringer (17) leaves the practice fields after minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
They're only permitted to have eight players return from IR in the middle of the season, and have already used two designations on wide receiver A.J. Brown and offensive tackle Marcus Bryant. Other players that are expected to contribute this year - including Mack Hollins, Romeo Doubs, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Greg Van Roten and Dell Pettus - have all been put on IR and could return by the end of the season.
That means that the Patriots had to make a decision on Baringer , who was in the final year of his four-year rookie contract. Instead of letting him sit on the sidelines for the rest of the year, the Patriots do right by Baringer and releasing him. He's now free to sign with any other team.
Baringer was also one of several Patriots remaining who had played for Bill Belichick before he left after the 2023 season (Christian Gonzalez, DeMario Douglas, Marcus Jones, Rhamondre Stevenson, Brenden Schooler, Christian Elliss, Mike Onwenu, Hunter Henry, Christian Barmore and Jeremiah Pharms Jr. still remain with the organization).
Releasing Baringer leaves just Wishnowsky on the roster as the only punter. Wishnowsky, who signed with the Patriots' practice squad ahead of Week 1, has been the lone punter this season and has played relatively well.
New England Patriots punter Mitch Wishnowsky (19) punts the ball during the second quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Patriots 35-6. [Corey Perrine/Florida TimesUnion] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Originally starting as a practice squad elevation, Wishnowsky was signed to the 53-man roster on Sept 22 . He's played in all seven games, punting the ball 22 times for 1,037 yards and three touchbacks.
Reports from Schultz and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport indicate that Baringer is fully healthy, meaning that the Patriots would have needed to move on from Wishnowsky if they wanted to bring Baringer up to the roster. It doesn't seem like Baringer would have lost the job had he not gotten injured, but it's hard to pull Wishnowsky out after he's been punting the ball well.
The Patriots have also reportedly made a move to their practice squad, re-signing edge rusher Jose Ramirez. They'll need to make room for him.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/patriots/onsi as Patriots Release P Bryce Baringer from IR: Here's Why They Did It .
