FOXBOROUGH – The Patriots are hurting at their running back position, so on Tuesday, they added another to the roster.
The Patriots signed Jonathan Ward to the practice squad, bringing the veteran back after a short stint in New England this season. To make room for Ward, the Patriots released receiver Brenden Rice, the son of NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice.
This move comes as the Patriots are dealing with injuries to every running back on their active roster. The team listed Rhamondre Stevenson (toe), TreVeyon Henderson (knee), and Terrell Jennings (knee) as limited in their walkthrough on Monday.
Stevenson missed the last two weeks of practice and the last two games due to his toe injury. The Patriots started Henderson and had Jennings as the top backup with practice squad running back D’Ernest Johnson for the second straight week.
Last weekend, however, Jennings suffered a knee injury and had to leave the Patriots’ win over the Buccaneers. With all three running backs dealing with injuries, the Patriots opted to bring Ward back into the fold.
The 28-year-old was on the Patriots practice squad from Oct. 28 to Nov. 4.
The veteran has played in the NFL for Arizona, Tennessee, and Pittsburgh. He’s played in 46 games, rushing for 91 yards and catching six passes for 52 yards. Ward played 10 games for Mike Vrabel’s Titans teams in 2022 and 2023.
To make room for him, the Patriots released Rice, who was signed last week on Nov. 4. He took Ward’s spot on the practice squad and now exits as the Patriots need more running back depth for their Thursday night matchup against the New York Jets.
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