The New England Patriots have made a pair of roster moves, terminating the contracts of running back Terrell Jennings and long snapper Niko Lalos (a converted defensive end).
The transactions came just days before the team’s second preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles, scheduled for Aug. 22 at Gillette Stadium.
Jennings, a 25-year-old undrafted free agent out of Florida A&M who had been with the organization since 2024, was waived from injured reserve with an injury settlement. He had been placed on IR days earlier with an undisclosed injury after starting training camp on the non-football injury list.
The settlement frees him to sign with another team once healthy and potentially rejoin the Patriots later if needed. Jennings had competed for the RB3 role behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson but saw limited action in prior seasons, totaling modest rushing yards and one career touchdown.
Lalos, a 6-foot-5, 269-pound specialist who began his career as a defensive end at Dartmouth before transitioning to long snapper, was waived after a brief return to the roster.
The Patriots had re-signed him on Aug. 10 following an earlier release in May, primarily to provide competition and depth for incumbent long snapper Julian Ashby, who was dealing with a short-term ankle issue. Lalos had previous NFL stints with the New York Giants (where he appeared in six games as a rookie) and New Orleans Saints, plus time in the XFL.
His release, along with placing guard Andrew Rupcich on injured reserve, created space for the signings of offensive linemen Darrian Dalcourt and Joe Michalski.
These moves reflect typical late-camp roster adjustments as teams evaluate depth and manage the 90-man limit ahead of final cuts.
For the running back room, the departure of Jennings intensifies the competition among remaining options such as JaMycal Hasty (recently signed), Hassan Haskins, Lan Larison, and others for backup duties. On special teams, the Patriots appear set with Ashby as the primary long snapper once healthy.
The timing coincides with preparations for the Eagles, against whom the Patriots will hold joint practices before the exhibition contest.
Under head coach Mike Vrabel, New England continues fine-tuning its roster following an active offseason that included notable additions and the acquisition of wide receiver A.J. Brown. Jennings and Lalos will now look for opportunities elsewhere as free agents, with both players having shown versatility in their respective roles during their time in Foxborough.
The Patriots’ focus remains on building chemistry and evaluating talent in the final stretch of the preseason before the regular season begins in September.
