Mike Vrabel reacts as he walks on to the field for a Patriots game.
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New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel now has two fullbacks on his roster.
Just hours after agreeing to terms with fullback Reggie Gilliam on Monday, the New England Patriots made an unexpected decision involving Jack Westover. The Patriots made the quiet roster call with Westover, as the team continues reshaping its offensive depth chart ahead of the new league year.
Westover, a former University of Washington standout who entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Seattle Seahawks, qualified as an exclusive rights free agent this offseason — meaning New England could keep him simply by extending a one-year league-minimum tender.
Because ERFAs have accrued fewer than three seasons and may not negotiate with other teams once tendered, the move guarantees Westover, who spent most of 2024 on the Patriots’ practice squad after being signed to the active roster before last season, remains with the Patriots while the club continues building out its backfield options following the Gilliam addition.
The Patriots agreed to terms with Gilliam, stealing him away from their divisional rivals, the Buffalo Bills, earlier on Monday, a move to upgrade the fullback position and the blocking necessary to better protect NFL MVP runner-up quarterback Drake Maye — as well as to bolster the New England running game anchored by Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson.
The Gilliam signing appeared to render Westover expandable, especially after the 26-year-old registered the lowest Pro Football Focus grade among all NFL fullbacks in 2025 (45.8).
Why Did the Patriots Decide to Keep Westover?
Despite becoming a fan favorite due to his underdog story, Westover was simply a substandard performer at fullback. The Patriots “netted a negative EPA per play out of their primary fullback grouping (-0.02),” according to longtime Patriots analyst Evan Lazar of Patriots.com. In 17 games, including two starts, Westover was on the field for 237 offensive snaps this past season, about 22 percent of the Patriots offensive plays.
So why did the Patriots decide to tender him a new contract, making sure he stays with the team at least through the start of the new NFL year?
Westover had his moments for the Patriots.
“The versatile former undrafted free agent appeared in all four playoff games for the Patriots and started in two of them. He recorded an eight-yard reception against the Los Angeles Chargers in the wild-card round,” reported Danny Jaillet of USA TODAY’s Patriots Wire on Monday. “Now, he is expected to return as a depth piece for the Patriots.”
But the move to keep Westover most likely comes down to the fact that he provides an inexpensive option. The tender triggers a one-year, $1.075 million contract for Westover, according to salary cap expert Miguel Benzan of PatsCap, with none of the salary guaranteed. That means the Patriots can keep Westover or simply cut him at any time with minimal, if any, financial risk.
What is Westover’s Underdog Story?
Patriots fans will likely be pleased to see Westover remain in a Patriots uniform. A classic underdog who played only two games of high school football but was able to join the Washington Huskies as a walk-on tight end.
In 52 games over five seasons in college, all at Washington, Westover caught 87 passes for 849 yards and six touchdowns. That was good enough for his hometown team, the Seattle Seahawks, to sign him to their practice squad, but the Seahawks waived him before the 2024 season.
The Patriots signed him off the waiver wire, and after a year on the New England practice squad, Westover converted to the fullback position and earned a spot on the Patriots team that won 14 games in the regular season and made it to the Super Bowl, where they lost — to the Seahawks.