Patriots Sign Pair of Familiar OL Following Injuries

Jul 28, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots tackle Caleb Lomu (74) and offensive tackle Andrew Rupcich (67) do a drill during training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Patriots Sign Pair of Familiar OL Following Injuries

Originally posted on New England Patriots on SI
By Ethan Hurwitz | Last updated Oct 19, 2026 11:31 AM ET

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The New England Patriots had three starting offensive linemen get hurt in yesterday's win over the New York Jets, putting that unit under the spotlight for Thursday's primetime game against the Chicago Bears.

So the Patriots are bringing in some familiar faces to add some much-needed depth.

At his media availability Monday morning, the Patriots are signing center/guards Andrew Rupcich and Jacob Rizy to the practice squad. Both of the players were with the team during the summer months with pretty substantial roles on the backup units.

"Guys that been here previously to help us here as we move forward," Vrabel said.

Rupcich was in line for a spot on the 53-man roster this season, working as a backup guard and center alongside Ben Brown — who got banged up in the win over New York. But he got hurt in a preseason game and was placed on IR. The Patriots would later release him with an injury designation.

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Rizy also was on the Patriots' initial practice squad during the regular season, but was not activated to the game day roster. He joins guards Xavier Newman-Johnson and Jake Kubas, and tackle Lorenz Metz on the practice squad.

Injuries Against NYJ Forced Patriots Hand

The Patriots got a lot of players banged up along the line. Brown left the game with a knee injury (his second of the season) and Alijah Vera-Tucker would suffer a hamstring injury. Tackle Morgan Moses, already nursing a foot injury, would leave with an ankle.

After the game, Vrabel spoke about if any of these injuries would bleed into the team's upcoming primetime game in four days.

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"We are all smart people here, some smarter than others. But it's a short week. So whether they can make it back or not, I don't know," Vrabel said. "They don't finish the game. We'll have to see. But I don't know any other thing other than that. And we'll just have to figure out who we have available and find 48 to put out there. So it's just hard to say, but it's a short week. And if you don't finish the game, that's a quick turnaround."

This article first appeared on New England Patriots on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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