New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots stayed quiet at the trade deadline, but did announce a move. The team signed wide receiver Brenden Rice to the practice squad on Tuesday. The team also announced that Jonathan Ward was released from the practice squad.
Rice is the son of NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice. The Los Angeles Chargers drafted Rice in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He has only appeared in three games and does not have any touches in the NFL.
Rice saw some opportunities on special teams as a rookie, but ended up finishing the season on injured reserve. He has yet to make a name for himself in the NFL like his father. He was released by the Chargers on Aug. 26 and now gets an opportunity on the Patriots practice squad.
The Patriots signed Rice after Mike Vrabel described wide receiver Kayshon Boutte as “day-to-day” with a hamstring injury, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss. Boutte has 431 receiving yards this season, nearing his total of 589 last year. He also has five touchdowns. He leads the team in touchdown receptions and is second in receiving yards.
Boutte’s injury could open the door for Kyle Williams to get more opportunities. The Patriots drafted him in the third round of this year’s NFL Draft, but he has just two catches on the year. Rice’s addition to the practice squad could just be insurance in case Boutte’s injury is more serious than it seems, or if another receiver goes down.
Rice had 1,821 receiving yards in 43 college games. He caught a total of 111 passes and 21 touchdowns. His most productive seasons came in his final two years at the University of Southern California.
He had 1,402 receiving yards at USC and scored 12 touchdowns as a senior. He has enormous footsteps to follow in, and perhaps the Patriots can unlock something in him the Chargers could not.
