Patriots Sign Punter, O-lineman After Suffering Preseason Injuries

The New England Patriots welcomed two new faces to practice on Monday.

Gearing up for their preseason finale against the Cleveland Browns, the team brought back offensive lineman Jack Conley and signed punter Matt Haack. No follow-up moves have been announced yet.

Conley, 25, originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Boston College last spring. The 6-foot-7, 333-pound lineman was picked up by the Patriots, who used him at both tackle and guard before signing him to their initial practice squad. Less than a month into the season, however, we was released again. Following stints with the Lions and Browns, Conley has now found his way back to Foxborough.

Haack, 32, joined the league as a rookie free agent in 2017. The Arizona State product has since spent time with nine different franchises, including the Dolphins, Bills, Colts, Cardinals, Browns, Giants, Jaguars, and Broncos. Most recently, he participated in training camp with the Commanders, for whom he punted six times with an average of 44.7 yards during the preseason opener.

The moves come in response to the Patriots suffering some injuries during Saturday’s preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Offensive tackle Marcus Bryant exited the game after injuring his ankle in the first quarter, while punter Bryce Baringer was limited to holding duties after his second punt of the day; rookie quarterback Behren Morton took over as punter in his place.

The Patriots will close out their preseason on Thursday against the Browns. Kickoff at Cleveland’s Huntington Bank Field is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.

The NFL’s roster cutdown deadline will come up three days later, on Aug. 30.