Patriots sign veteran punter Matt Haack with Bryce Baringer injured
Baringer will miss time after getting hurt in Saturday's game, so New England is bringing in the well-traveled Haack for the final week of camp and possibly beyond
The Patriots are replacing their punter. New England will sign veteran Matt Haack after incumbent Bryce Baringer sustained an injury in Saturday's preseason game that is expected to cost him time, coach Mike Vrabel confirmed Monday.
The new punter will be veteran Matt Haack, per a source. Most recently with Washington this summer. Previously Dolphins (2017-2020), Bills (2021), Colts (2022), Browns (2023), Giants (2024), Cardinals (2025).View on X →
Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss): The new punter will be veteran Matt Haack, per a source. Most recently with Washington this summer. Previously Dolphins (2017-2020), Bills (2021), Colts (2022), Browns (2023), Giants (2024), Cardinals (2025).
Haack brings one of the more well-traveled legs in the league to Foxborough. The 31-year-old broke in with Miami from 2017 to 2020 before stops with Buffalo (2021), Indianapolis (2022), Cleveland (2023), the Giants (2024) and Arizona (2025) — and he spent part of this summer with Washington before the Commanders moved on. Per ESPN's Mike Reiss, he was identified as the signing within hours of Vrabel's announcement.
For Baringer, a sixth-year punter who has held the job since 2023, the timing is unfortunate: injured players are frequently part of roster math at cutdown, and missing the final week of camp while a healthy veteran takes your reps is rarely a good combination. The Patriots must set their 53-man roster by Sunday at 6 p.m. ET, ahead of a September 7 opener against the Raiders.
Monday's practice also brought encouraging news on the other side of the ball: cornerback Christian Gonzalez returned as a full participant for the first time since August 10, moving well through extensive work.