Pats Pulpit
Mike Vrabel will soon revisit the franchise that chose him in the third round of the 1997 NFL draft. But along with the New England Patriots head coach, there will be additional connections on the field when the Pittsburgh Steelers arrive in Foxborough.
Between the active rosters and practice squads, 10 players in the fold for Sunday have made stops with both teams during their careers.
Here’s a glance through the list of heading into the 1 p.m. ET kickoff at Gillette Stadium.
Jonnu Smith, tight end — The 30-year-old Smith handled 55 receptions for 539 yards and one touchdown across 30 games with the Patriots. His stay included 19 starts. It ended midway through a four-year contract in a trade with the Atlanta Falcons during the 2023 offseason. And after earning Pro Bowl honors in 2024 back in the AFC East with the Miami Dolphins, the Florida International product was dealt to the AFC North. Smith originally entered the NFL with the Tennessee Titans at pick No. 100 overall on the 2017 class. He has amassed 316 receptions, 3,349 yards and 29 touchdowns through 126 career contests. A visit to the end zone as a rusher has also been logged.
Calvin Anderson, offensive tackle — The Patriots released Anderson from injured reserve with a settlement in September of 2024. The veteran swing tackle, who spent time on the non-football illness due to malaria and injured reserve due to a heart contusion the year prior, made his way to the Steelers shortly after becoming a free agent. Originally landing in Foxborough as an undrafted rookie in 2019, Anderson has also made stops with New York Jets and Denver Broncos. The 29-year-old out of Rice and Texas stands 50 games, including 14 starts, into his NFL journey. He was active but did not play last week.
Daniel Ekuale, defensive tackle — After spending the past four seasons on New England’s defensive line, the 31-year-old Ekuale signed with Pittsburgh in March. He entered the NFL in 2018 as an undrafted free agent out of Washington State and spent time with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns from there. Beginning his stay at Gillette Stadium as a standard elevation from the practice squad, Ekuale went on to appear in 41 games, including 16 starts. He notched 74 tackles, five sacks and one forced fumble in the process.
Ja’Whaun Bentley, linebacker — The Steelers hosted Bentley on a visit Tuesday. It led to an agreement. Now signed to the AFC North practice squad, the 29-year-old linebacker had been a free agent since his March release with a failed-physical designation. Bentley landed in Foxborough in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL draft at pick No. 143 overall. The three-time Purdue captain went on to become a four-time Patriots captain and the green dot of the defense. He appeared in 83 games, starting 68, while amassing 509 tackles and 10.5 sacks. Along the way there were four fumbles forced, one fumble recovered and...
