Pats Pulpit
Lan Larison’s push for a 53-man roster spot has come to a close following his preseason debut.
The New England Patriots placed the rookie running back on injured reserve amid a series of moves on Sunday.
Larison, 23, was not spotted at the final open practice of training camp in Foxborough. The UC Davis product, who arrived as part of the organization’s 2025 undrafted class, had been seen in a walking boot after Friday night’s 48-18 win over the Washington Commanders. He handled 23 offensive snaps, rushing for 35 yards and a touchdown across seven carries while adding two receptions for nine yards.
The Aggies program’s all-time leader in all-purpose yards, Larison closed out his collegiate career with 1,465 yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground in 2024. The 5-foot-11, 209-pound former Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year also turned in 62 catches for 847 yards and six scores out of the backfield last fall.
In additional transactions, the Patriots signed running back Deneric Prince and defensive end Jereme Robinson on Sunday. The club waived safety Josh Minkins to open a second spot on August’s active roster.
Prince, 25, entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2023. The 6-foot, 211-pound back out of Tulsa spent the bulk of his rookie year on the practice squad, serving as a standard elevation for two games on special teams. After clearing waivers at the league’s cutdown deadline in 2024, he joined the practice squad of the Miami Dolphins. A UFL stop with the Memphis Showboats arrived in the spring.
Robinson, 25, agreed to terms with the Chicago Bears after going undrafted in 2025. The 6-foot-3, 263-pound rookie edge was waived as training camp got underway in July. A Kansas product who earned All-Big 12 honorable mention recognition in 2024, Robinson’s Jayhawks career spanned 53 appearances. He had a hand in 98 tackles, 14 sacks, five forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
Minkins, 23, signed with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in May and began training camp on the non-football injury list. He recorded three tackles in his first NFL preseason appearance. The 6-foot-2, 207-pound former Louisville and Cincinnati safety played in 51 collegiate games, including 28 starts, dating back to 2020. He totaled 144 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, one recovery and four interceptions.
The Minnesota Vikings host head coach Mike Vrabel’s 91-man roster for a pair of joint practices leading up to next Saturday’s 1 p.m. ET kickoff at U.S. Bank Stadium.
