The New England Patriots will enter the final week of the regular season with two openings on the active roster.
The organization officially waived offensive lineman Brenden Jaimes and cornerback Miles Battle on Monday, clearing room for reinforcements from injured reserve.
Jaimes, 26, had been promoted to the 53-man roster last week after twice serving as a standard elevation. The veteran saw eight snaps at center in relief on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. He has also handled 21 snaps on special teams since heading to Foxborough as part of the practice squad in September.
Taken in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL draft, Jaimes stands 49 games in. The 6-foot-5, 300-pound Nebraska alum spent four seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers before spending his most recent training camp with the Tennessee Titans. A three-game starter, he has totaled 282 snaps on offense and 218 snaps in the kicking game.
Battle, 25, was added to New England’s active roster amid a series of moves in late November. He has appeared in five games this campaign, recording three tackles while logging 29 snaps on defense and 54 snaps on special teams.
Re-signed to the practice squad at its formation in August, Battle had finished his rookie year on the 53. His debut arrived in the season finale and brought two tackles along with three passes defensed. The 6-foot-3, 197-pound cornerback out of Ole Miss and Utah originally entered the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2024.
Both are candidates to be retained after clearing waivers.
Rookie left tackle Will Campbell is expected to return to practice this week after four games on injured reserve. The Patriots previously opened defensive tackle Milton Williams’ 21-day activation window, and cornerback Alex Austin is also eligible to retake the field.
In additional Monday movement, defensive lineman Leonard Taylor III and cornerback Kobee Minor reverted to the practice squad after serving as standard elevations for what became a 42-10 win over the New York Jets.
Taylor, 23, recorded four tackles against his former team, stuffing one carry for no gain. The 6-foot-3, 305-pound University of Miami product has totaled 27 defensive snaps since joining the practice squad in October. He debuted as an elevation midway through December. Entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Jets in 2024, Taylor’s career includes 33 tackles, 1.5 sacks and two batted passes through 18 games.
Minor, 23, checked in as an elevation for the third time after making back-to-back appearances in September. The 5-foot-11, 188-pound corner by way of Texas Tech, Indiana and Memphis saw the initial 29 defensive snaps of his stay on Sunday and was credited with one tackle. He has also handled 11 snaps on the kicking game during his rookie year. Selected by the Patriots in the seventh round of the 2025 draft at No. 257 overall, the latest “Mr. Irrelevant” signed to the practice squad at its formation.
Head coach Mike Vrabel’s 13-3 AFC East champions close out the schedule next Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. The finale at Gillette Stadium is set for 4:25 p.m. ET.
