Xavier Newman-Johnson and Benton Whitley are officially back on the New England Patriots’ practice squad, a move that followed their first game action of 2026 in that tough 30-24 loss to the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. For both the offensive lineman and the outside linebacker, Week 7 marked their debut appearances of the season, and it definitely shone a spotlight on the Patriots’ roster depth.
The Call-Ups That Exposed Depth
Let’s be real, you don’t elevate guys from the practice squad for their first game action of the year unless you’re in a bind. Newman-Johnson, who is 27 years old, got his Thursday night debut protecting on three extra points and one field goal. The 6-foot-2, 297-pound interior lineman was clearly brought in to plug some gaps. The Patriots were already missing starting right guard Ben Brown due to a knee injury, and then they lost left guard Alijah Vera-Tucker to injured reserve with a hamstring issue right before the 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff. That’s a brutal hit to the offensive line, forcing their hand to give Newman-Johnson a look.
Whitley, also 27, got 13 snaps on special teams, hustling on kickoff coverage, kickoff return, and punt return. That’s a significant 46 percent of the workload in that “transitional phase,” as they call it. The fact that both these guys, signed to the practice squad in September, had to jump into the fray like this, especially in a game they ended up losing 30-24, really makes you wonder about the options they have further down their depth chart.
Journeymen Racking Up Frequent Flier Miles
These aren’t rookies, by any stretch. Newman-Johnson’s career is 26 games deep. He started as an undrafted free agent in 2022 with Mike Vrabel’s Tennessee Titans, spent parts of two seasons in the AFC South, then landed with the New York Jets, bouncing between their practice squad, 53-man roster, and even injured reserve before getting released and finding his way to Foxborough. He’s got 338 downs on offense and 72 in the kicking game, with five starts under his belt. The dude’s been around.
Whitley, the well-traveled edge rusher, has an even wilder resume. A Massachusetts native and Holy Cross alum, he entered the NFL in 2022 undrafted with the Los Angeles Rams. Since then, he’s made stops with the Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, Arizona Cardinals, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers through 2025. His most recent training camp was with the Cleveland Browns before getting waived in August. In his seven career games, he’s notched one fumble recovery and one pass defensed across 16 snaps on defense and 87 on special teams.
So, here’s the kicker: both of these guys have two standard elevations left before the Patriots would be forced to sign them to 53-man contracts to get them back on the field. That’s a limited shelf life on these temporary boosts.
The Patriots are heading into their mini bye week at 4-3, which isn’t terrible, but it’s certainly not cruising. They’ve got a full practice squad, but only one opening on the active roster. With two guys who clearly filled in for injured starters now back on the practice squad and limited elevations remaining, this team is going to need some serious evaluation of their overall depth during this break. They can’t rely on these temporary fixes forever if the injury bug keeps biting.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pats Pulpit.
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