Nov 17, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA;  Tennessee Titans linebacker Harold Landry III (58) celebrates the fumble recovery against the Minnesota Vikings during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Reports: Patriots signing LB Harold Landry III, TE Austin Hooper

The New England Patriots signed free agent outside linebacker Harold Landry III on a three-year contract and re-signed tight end Austin Hooper to a one-year deal, according to media reports on Sunday night.

Landry, a one-time Pro Bowl selection who was recently released by the Tennessee Titans in a salary cap move, has a new contract worth $43.5 million with $26 million guaranteed, per reports.

Hooper, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, is returning to New England on a $5 million contract with a maximum value of $7 million, ESPN reported.

Both players have connections to the Patriots’ new head coach, Mike Vrabel, when he was at the helm of the Titans, as well as to other New England coaches.

Vrabel used a Titans second-round draft pick in 2018 to select Landry. The Patriots’ new defensive coordinator, Terrell Williams, was the Titans’ defensive line coach under Vrabel from 2018-23.

Hooper spent time with Vrabel at Tennessee in 2022 and with Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels with Las Vegas in 2023, when McDaniels was the Raiders’ head coach.

Landry, 28, was the Titans’ longest-tenured player when he was released. He would have earned $17.5 million in base salary with a $24.05 million cap hit in 2025.

He started all 17 games last season and made 71 tackles with a team-high nine sacks as well as 15 tackles for loss, one safety, 15 quarterback hits and four pass breakups.

He has 397 career tackles in 98 regular-season games (79 starts) with 50.5 sacks, 70 tackles for loss, 102 QB hits, two interceptions, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

After being voted to the Pro Bowl in 2021, Landry signed a five-year, $87 million deal in 2022 but tore his ACL in the preseason and missed the entire campaign.

Hooper, 30, caught 45 passes on 59 targets for 476 yards and three touchdowns in 17 games (eight starts) in his first season in New England.

A Pro Bowl selection in 2018 and 2019, Hooper has 409 career receptions for 4,178 yards and 28 touchdowns in 139 regular-season games (76 starts) for the Atlanta Falcons (2016-19), Cleveland Browns (2020-21), Titans (2022), Raiders (2023) and Patriots.

The Falcons selected him in the third round of the 2016 draft.

–Field Level Media

Dec 15, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; New England Patriots linebacker Sione Takitaki (16) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Patriots release LB Sione Takitaki

The New England Patriots released six-year veteran linebacker Sione Takitaki on Wednesday after his lone season with the team.

Takitaki, 29, played in 11 games (four starts) and totaled 21 tackles. He has 289 career tackles with four sacks, 14 tackles for loss, eight quarterback hits, two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in 83 regular-season games (40 starts) for the Cleveland Browns (2019-23) and Patriots.

He also has 11 tackles and one interception in three playoff games (all starts) for Cleveland.

The Browns selected Takitaki in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of BYU.

–Field Level Media

Jan 1, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense coordinator Byron Leftwich against the Carolina Panthers during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images

Report: Patriots interviewing Byron Leftwich

The New England Patriots are interviewing Byron Leftwich for their head coaching vacancy on Tuesday, The Athletic reported.

The Patriots fired Jerod Mayo on Sunday after compiling a 4-13 record in his first season in Foxborough.

Leftwich, 44, most recently worked as the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2019-22, a stint that included a Super Bowl win in the 2020 season.

Leftwich was fired by Bucs head coach Todd Bowles after the 2022 season, which saw Tampa Bay slip from the top 3 in scoring the previous three seasons to No. 15 in yards and No. 25 in points in 2022.

A quarterback and first-round pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2003 NFL Draft, Leftwich had a 24-26 record with 10,532 passing yards and 58 touchdowns in 60 games with the Jaguars (2003-06), Atlanta Falcons (2007), Bucs (2009) and Steelers (2008, 2010, 2012).

He was also the interim offensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals in 2018.

Leftwich told The Athletic that he’s ready to get back into coaching.

“There’s something missing. … I really do feel as though something’s not there, and I’ve got to get back to it,” he said. “I’m really into helping other players. I want to help them to play the best. I love to teach.

“Just give me the opportunity. Bring me in and see. Communicate with me, see if I’m the right type of leader you want. Do your homework. See if I can lead men. … See if I know my X’s and O’s. See if I know people. See if I know what needs to be done to succeed at the job.”

New England’s 23-16 win over Buffalo in Sunday’s season finale secured the No. 4 overall selection in April’s NFL draft, and Patriots owner Robert Kraft seems to be moving quickly to get a new head coach in place.

Kraft said Monday that the front office will remain intact and that the coaching search will be headed by Eliot Wolf and Alonzo Highsmith.

Former Tennessee Titans coach and longtime Patriots player Mike Vrabel is also reportedly expected to interview along with Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.

–Field Level Media

Oct 20, 2024; London, United Kingdom; New England Patriots wide receiver K.J. Osborn (2) during an NFL International Series game  against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Reports: Patriots to waive WR K.J. Osborn

The New England Patriots are waiving wide receiver K.J. Osborn, according to multiple reports on Tuesday.

Osborn, 27, has played in seven games (four starts) and has seven receptions on 18 targets for 57 yards and one touchdown. He has participated in 53 percent (232) of the offensive snaps. He has not played since the Patriots’ 19-3 victory at Chicago on Nov. 10.

The Patriots signed Osborn as a free agent in March after he spent four seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, who selected him in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Osborn has 165 career receptions for 1,902 yards and 16 TDs in 66 regular-season games (34 starts).

New England also is expected to sign rookie kicker John Parker Romo to the practice squad, NFL Network reported on Tuesday. Romo, 27, played in four games this season for the Vikings, making 11 of 12 field-goal attempts with a long of 55 yards, and seven of eight extra-point attempts.

The Patriots’ starting kicker is veteran Joey Slye.

–Field Level Media

Nov 17, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) throws the ball against the Los Angeles Rams during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Patriots will try to reverse road struggles against the Dolphins

Hitting the road to face the Miami Dolphins has been anything but easy for the New England Patriots over the past 11 years.

Since 2013, New England is 2-9 against the Dolphins in Miami Gardens, Fla., where the Patriots will attempt to pick up a rare win on Sunday afternoon.

First-year coach Jerod Mayo has been in the thick of New England’s struggles in the Sunshine State. He spent his entire playing career (2008-15) with the Patriots, then served as inside linebackers coach from 2019-23 before taking over at the helm.

Mayo is making sure that New England (3-8) leaves the past in the past come Sunday, though.

“First and foremost, I won’t address it with the guys as far as the struggles that we’ve had in Miami, even though they’re probably listening to me right now,” Mayo said. “But what I will say is every game is unique. … It’s a tough place to play. It’s not that it’s super loud or anything like that.

“We just haven’t been able to get over the hump.”

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft, has given Mayo a reason to believe that New England can turn the corner against Miami (4-6). Maye continued to take steps in the right direction by completing 29 of 39 passes for 282 yards, two touchdowns and one interception during a 28-22 loss to the Los Angeles Rams last Sunday.

Dolphins signal-caller Tua Tagovailoa has been impressed with what he has seen from the 22-year-old Maye so far and is eager to go up against him.

“I respect his game. I respect his game a lot,” Tagovailoa said. “He’s a rookie, so there’s gonna be bumps within his journey. But you see a lot of flashes of things that he can do, not just inside the pocket, outside of the pocket as well.

“I got a lot of respect for him, and looking forward to competing against him.”

Tagovailoa most recently threw for 288 yards and three scores on 28-for-36 passing Miami’s 34-19 win over the Las Vegas Raiders last Sunday. One of his favorite targets was former New England tight end Jonnu Smith, who hauled in six catches for 101 yards and two TDs.

Miami has rattled off back-to-back wins on the heels of a three-game losing streak that began after a 15-10 victory against the Patriots in Week 5.

“We’re looking to go out there and play the plays with what they’ve presented us over the years,” Tagovailoa said, referring to the Dolphins’ familiarity with New England’s game plan. “If we need to adjust in any way, we’ll adjust.”

Cornerback Kendall Fuller (concussion) and offensive tackle Terron Armstead (knee) missed Miami’s practice on Wednesday. Six Dolphins were limited, including star wideout Tyreek Hill (wrist) and cornerback Jalen Ramsey (knee).

Defensive end Deatrich Wise (foot), offensive tackle Vederian Lowe (shoulder) and defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy (neck) did not practice for the Patriots on Wednesday. Safety Kyle Dugger was among those limited — due to an ankle injury — and defensive end Keion White (knee) also failed to practice in full.

–Field Level Media

Nov 10, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) drops back to pass against the Chicago Bears during the first quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

Patriots eyeing first win streak since 2022 this week vs. Rams

Stringing wins together has been nearly impossible for the New England Patriots for the better part of the past three seasons.

New England hasn’t posted back-to-back victories since a three-game winning streak in 2022. The Patriots will attempt to accomplish the feat on Sunday when the Los Angeles Rams roll into Foxborough, Mass.

The Patriots (3-7) suffocated the Bears last Sunday, notching a season-high nine sacks from their defense in a 19-3 win. They held Chicago to 142 yards of total offense and 1 of 14 third down conversions.

However, considering they haven’t had consecutive wins in almost two years, New England coach Jerod Mayo has made it clear to his team that it needs to play with a sense of urgency to stay in the win column.

“Big win from there, and just build on it,” Patriots quarterback Drake Maye said. “Sense of urgency, what coach Mayo is preaching. I think it starts with cleaning up from the game (last) Sunday, cleaning up some little things that I think we could have ended up being a bigger margin of victory for us, especially offensively.

“I think we’ve got another chance here at home. L.A.’s coming off a short week, so we’ve got to prepare for them. They’re good up front on defense, so we’re preparing for them.”

Los Angeles has a quicker-than-usual turnaround following a 23-15 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Monday night. The Rams (4-5) were never able to find the end zone, getting five field goals from Joshua Karty to at least keep the game competitive.

It marked the end of a three-game winning streak for Los Angeles, which is still within striking distance of the Arizona Cardinals (6-4) for the lead in the NFC West. Rams linebacker Jared Verse realizes that time is of the essence when it comes to making a playoff push, though.

“We can’t dwell on this (loss against Miami), ‘Oh no, woe is me,’ ” Verse said. “We have to move on.”

Verse was among the few bright spots for Los Angeles against the Dolphins. The rookie had four tackles (two for loss), one sack, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Still, Verse believes he can be even better against the Patriots.

“I’ll never be satisfied with the way I play,” he said. “I think there were definitely a couple plays here and there that I could have made if I did a little bit more.”

Offensive linemen Joe Noteboom and Rob Havenstein are both dealing with ankle injuries that forced them to miss practice on Wednesday. Cornerback Charles Woods (ankle) and defensive lineman Neville Gallimore (neck) did not practice as well. Linebacker Byron Young (knee) was limited during the session.

Four Patriots players did not practice on Wednesday, including defensive end Deatrich Wise (foot) and linebacker Sione Takitaki (knee). Safety Kyle Dugger was limited by an ankle injury and tight end Hunter Henry was limited because of a foot issue.

New England and Los Angeles are facing each other for the first time since Dec. 10, 2020, when the Rams beat the Patriots 24-3.

–Field Level Media

Nov 10, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New England Patriots defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. (91) sacks Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

Patriots sack Caleb Williams 9 times, stifle Bears

Deatrich Wise Jr. and Anfernee Jennings each had a pair of sacks as the New England Patriots buckled down defensively to beat the host Chicago Bears 19-3 on Sunday afternoon.

New England (3-7) had nine sacks in all and held the Bears to 142 yards of total offense. Chicago was forced to punt on eight of its first nine drives of the game, then turned the ball over on downs when it had possession for a 10th time.

The hosts had one last chance to make something happen, but they also failed to move the chains on fourth down on their final drive.

Drake Maye didn’t have to do much under center for the Patriots, completing 15 of 25 passes for 184 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Austin Hooper hauled in three catches for 64 yards.

Rhamondre Stevenson headlined the rushing attack for the visitors, going for 74 yards on 20 touches.

Caleb Williams was under constant duress and finished with 120 yards on 16-of-30 passing for the Bears (4-5), who have dropped three straight games. D’Andre Swift rushed for 59 yards on 16 carries.

Maye put New England in front for good when he found Ja’Lynn Polk for a 2-yard TD with 1:46 left in the second quarter to make it 10-3.

Joey Slye booted a 37-yard field goal as time expired in the first half to send the Patriots into the break up by 10.

Slye added fourth-quarter field goals from 25 and 33 yards out to put the finishing touches on the victory.

New England opened the scoring with 6:19 to go in the first quarter, getting a 30-yard field goal from Slye.

Chicago finally responded at the 7:17 mark of the second quarter, as Cairo Santos made good on a 33-yard field goal to provide the Bears with their only points of the afternoon.

The Patriots stopped Chicago on 13 of 14 third-down tries for the game.

–Field Level Media

Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis (8) exits the field after losing to the Indianapolis Colts 20-17 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024.

Titans stress patience in losing campaign, while Patriots upbeat after tight win

The Tennessee Titans are 1-6 and already making plans for 2025. The No. 1 pick in next spring’s draft is more likely than any kind of run to the fringes of playoff contention.

But unlike a couple of teams that have benched their young starters at quarterback to play veterans, Tennessee is committed to playing Will Levis as soon as he returns from a right shoulder injury. That could happen as early as Sunday, when the New England Patriots visit Nashville in a battle of teams that are a combined 3-12.

Levis has shown little of the big arm that made him a pleasant surprise last year when he took over in late October. He has averaged two turnovers in five games, tossing seven interceptions and losing three fumbles.

Brian Callahan is a first-year coach with a hall pass for now. He and the franchise can afford on some level to play Levis and let him — and the team — take lumps now in hopes they can learn from mistakes later.

“There’s not a lot of patience in pro sports in general,” Callahan said. “Sometimes, it does take a little bit of time to learn all these things. You’re balancing winning with developing and that’s a very, very hard thing to do in pro football and probably every professional sport because fans want success.

“It’s a really tricky thing, but it also stems mostly from (quarterback) is just such a difficult position to play and there’s so much demand on the position that you have to play a good amount of football to learn those lessons.”

Levis is actually completing 66.4 percent of his passes, up eight percent from last year, but he is averaging less than nine yards per completion. Backup Mason Rudolph is hitting nearly 59 percent of his attempts but averaging just over 10 yards per completion.

New England (2-6) has quarterback questions of its own, even after snapping a six-game losing streak last week with a 25-22 win over the New York Jets. Rookie Drake Maye suffered a concussion late in the first quarter and practiced in a limited role on Wednesday.

Veteran Jacoby Brissett, who led a late fourth-quarter touchdown drive to secure the victory, will start if Maye is unable to make it all the way through the league’s protocol.

“I feel very comfortable putting Jacoby in there as he is a professional and always stays ready, as you could see from the last game,” first-year Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said of Brissett. “However that plays out, we’ll see.”

One thing that became clear last week is that Mayo found the right button to push after a blowout loss to Jacksonville in London on Oct. 20, when he called his team soft. The Patriots displayed a renewed purpose against the Jets, an opponent that beat them 24-3 in September in New York.

“I would say those guys answered the challenge,” Mayo said. “I don’t think we have soft guys in the locker room.”

The Patriots listed 13 players as limited at practice on Wednesday, including Maye and safety Kyle Dugger (ankle). Three players didn’t practice: linebacker Christian Eliss (abdomen), offensive tackle Vederian Lowe (ankle/shoulder) and defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy (neck).

Levis was a limited participant while nine of his teammates missed practice on Wednesday, including wide receivers Tyler Boyd (shoulder) and Calvin Ridley (shoulder), running back Tony Pollard (foot), cornerback L’Jarius Sneed (quad) and nose tackle T’Vondre Sweat (hip).

The Patriots own a 26-18-1 advantage in the all-time series with the Titans, including four postseason games. New England won the teams’ last matchup 36-13 in 2021 in Foxboro, Mass.

–Field Level Media

New England Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers appears in Quincy District Court for his arraignment on Monday, Oct. 7. Peppers was arrested at his Braintree apartment by police responding to a domestic dispute call.

Robert Kraft: Jabril Peppers “gone” if domestic violence allegations are true

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft said that if the domestic violations allegations against safety Jabril Peppers are true, Peppers has played his last game for the team, according to reports.

” . . . If what has been reported is true, he’s (Peppers) gone,” is what was reported that Kraft said during an appearance on “The Breakfast Club” morning show.

Peppers pleaded not guilty Monday in Quincy (Mass.) District Court after he was arrested on multiple charges that include strangulation and drug possession, per police in Braintree, Mass. Multiple reports indicated the alleged victim is his girlfriend.

The NFL placed Peppers, 29, on the commissioner’s exempt list on Wednesday.

But Kraft also stressed the team would wait and confirm the facts of the case before taking any action.

” . . . Once he goes on the commissioner’s exempt list, they do their independent checking. We’re doing ours,” Kraft said.

Peppers will continue to be paid while on the exempt list. He is in the first season of a three-year, $24 million contract.

He is in his eighth season after being drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the first round (25th overall) in 2017 from the University of Michigan. Peppers has also played with the New York Giants.

–Field Level Media

Aug 25, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA;  New England Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers (5) takes the field with teammates before the game against the Washington Commanders at Commanders Field. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Patriots rule out S Jabrill Peppers vs. Dolphins

The New England Patriots downgraded safety Jabrill Peppers from questionable to out on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins because of a shoulder injury.

Peppers did not practice on Wednesday and was a limited participant on Thursday and Friday.

New England (1-3) also could be thin at the position against visiting Miami (1-3) because their other starting safety, Kyle Dugger, didn’t practice all week due to an ankle injury and is listed as questionable.

The Patriots could look to veteran reserves Jaylinn Hawkins and Brenden Schooler as well as undrafted rookie Dell Pettus for safety help. Safety Marte Mapu was limited at practice this week because of a calf issue and also is listed as questionable.

Peppers, who turned 29 on Friday, has started all four games and has 23 tackles, one interception and two passes defended.

In his eighth season, Peppers has 494 career tackles with 28 tackles for loss, 5.5 acks, seven interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), five forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries in 97 games (83 starts).

The Cleveland Browns selected Peppers in the first round (25th overall) out of Michigan in the 2017 NFL Draft. He has played for the Browns (2017-18), New York Giants (2019-21) and Patriots.

Dugger, 28, has 20 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack and one forced fumble in starting all four games this season.

The Patriots picked him in the second round of the 2020 draft. He has 363 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, nine interceptions (two returned for TDs), 21 passes defended, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 65 games (56 starts).

–Field Level Media