Patriots Elevate CB to Active Roster

As the New England Patriots begin preparations for their Week 13 matchup with the New York Giants, they are adding some much-needed reinforcements to their defensive secondary.

The Pats have officially announced the signing of cornerback Miles Battle to the 53-man roster from the practice squad. In addition, New England signed rookie corner Brandon Crossley to their scout team, to fill the spot vacated by Battle.

Battle originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with the Kansas City Chiefs in May 2024, out of Utah. The 6-foot-3, 197-pounder, was released by Kansas City after training camp and was signed by New England to the practice squad in October. He was signed by New England to the 53-man roster from the practice squad in Jan. 2025, and played in his first NFL game in the season-finale vs. the Buffalo Bills. The 25-year-old finished with two tackles and three passes defensed.

Despite a strong showing throughout Patriots offseason workouts, Battle was released by New England at the end of training camp this past summer and was then signed to the practice squad. Battle was elevated to the active roster for the Patriots Week 7 matchup against the Tennessee Titans on Oct. 19 and saw action on special teams. Battle’s signing is expected to help mitigate the loss of veteran cornerback Alex Austin (undisclosed injury) who was recently placed on injured reserve.

Crossley Adds Depth to Practice Squad, Campbell to IR

Crossley was originally signed by New England as a rookie free agent in May out of Southern Methodist. The 5-foot-11, 186-pounder, was released on Aug. 26, signed to the practice squad on Aug. 27. He was released from the scout team on Aug. 28. Crossley began his college career at Colorado State for one season (2019) before transferring to SMU (2020-24). He registered 146 total tackles, six interceptions and 30 passes defensed during his college career.