Pats Pulpit
The New England Patriots’ first day back at work after their preseason opener was an eventful one. Not only did the team hold its 13th practice of this year’s training camp, it also made a series of roster moves.
Lan Larison was sent to injured reserve and replaced on the roster by fellow running back Deneric Prince. In addition, safety Josh Minkins was waived, with his spot going to defensive edge Jereme Robinson.
Let’s break down what the moves mean from a big-picture perspective.
Season over: Larison suffering a broken foot in the preseason opener against Washington and undergoing surgery soon means that his rookie season is now officially over. Due to the timing of his move to IR, the undrafted free agent is not eligible to be reactivated at a later point in the year.
His first NFL season ends after 29 combined snaps between offense and special teams. Along the way, Larison carried the ball seven times for 35 yards and a touchdown, reeled in two passes for nine yards, and ran a kickoff back 25 yards..
New-look RB4 competition: With Rhamondre Stevenson, TreVeyon Henderson and Antonio Gibson on the team, the top of the Patriots’ running back depth chart appears set in stone. Larison was unlikely to challenge the established order based on practice and in-game usage, but he would have had a chance at making the 53-man roster as a potential versatile depth option behind the top trio.
With him gone, the next men up at running back are Terrell Jennings, JaMycal Hasty and newly-signed Deneric Prince. Jennings and Hasty both have experience in New England, having first joined the team in 2024 and 2023.
Special teams depth impacted: As noted above, Larison ran one kickoff back in his preseason debut. His contributions in the game’s third phase extended beyond serving as the third returner behind TreVeyon Henderson and Antonio Gibson: he also was on the field for three kickoff coverage snaps and had one assisted tackle on a third-quarter runback.
Had Larison been able to make the 53-man roster, he likely would have played a role on special teams. Now, his spot in both areas will go to somebody else — either Jennings, Hasty or Prince, or somebody else from a different position group entirely.
Money lost: Larison being moved to injured reserve does not only rob him of a chance to make the roster, it also results in the 23-year-old missing out on some monetary intake. According to salary cap expert Miguel Benzan, he loses a total of $470,000:
If Lan Larison had made the 53-man roster his salary would have been $840K. His salary for being on Injured Reserve during the regular season will be $490K — a $350K decrease. His 2026 salary was scheduled to be $1.005M. It will now be $885K — a $120K decrease. That’s a total of $470K lost.
As for the salary cap, Larison will be on the Patriots’...
