Despite already having a long snapper on the roster heading into the 2026 offseason, the New England Patriots have decided to add another.
According to a source, the Patriots have signed Niko Lalos to a free agent contract following a successful workout this week. He was in town along with several other free agent long snappers, and he signed a contract following the session.
Lalos, a former defensive end with the New York Giants and New Orleans Saints , recently converted to long snapper. He last played in the NFL with the Saints in 2024.
The 28-year-old veteran played his college ball in New England , suiting up for Dartmouth for four seasons. After his career in the Ivy League, he went undrafted and signed a contract with the Giants that summer. He spent a brief time on New York's active roster that season, mainly used as a practice squad elevation.
Lalos most notably attended St. Vincent-St. Mary's High School in Akron, Ohio - the high school basketball legend LeBron James attended before being drafted first overall in the NBA. Ahead of Lalos' first career game, James took to social media to congratulate Lalos. In his first career game, Lalos grabbed a key interception in the Giants' 19-17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals .
"First career (games interception, shout-out from LeBron - I don't think it gets better than that," teammate and former Patriots star Logan Ryan said, via the New York Post . "He's part of the early-risers crew. I think he was elevated today because we needed him, I think he was elevated because of his work ethic every day. I'm happy he was rewarded. It's a great story."
In 2022, he played for both the Saints and the Seattle Sea Dragons of the XFL. He racked up 35 tackles in the minor league, along with 1.5 sacks and an interception. He returned to the Saints for 2023 and 2024, before being released that November.
He switched to long snapper last season, trying out for the Philadelphia Eagles during their rookie minicamp.
Lalos joins Julian Ashby as the long snappers on the roster for 2026. The Patriots spent a seventh round draft pick on Ashby, who didn't miss a single game during his rookie season. While most of the offseason specialists signings are insignificant in nature, it's something to always keep an eye on in case a starter goes down.
The other free agents that were in town for a workout included former Alabama long snapper Kneeland Hibbett and New England native and Super Bowl LV champion Zach Triner , according to Pro Long Snapper Tracker.
Following the first week of free agency, the Patriots have shored up plenty of positional depth heading into next month's NFL Draft. The team has just under $30 million in cap space after their first wave of signings (without factoring in Lalos' contract, likely a cheap veteran deal).
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/patriots/onsi as Patriots Sign Former Giants DE Turned Long Snapper .
