New England Patriots
Austin will be out for a while and a familiar face returns to the practice squad.
The Patriots will be without cornerback Alex Austin for the next four games. New England announced Tuesday evening that it has put the veteran defensive back on injured reserve.
The announcement did not say what Austin’s injury is. He played in Sunday’s win against the Bengals, recording three tackles.
The reserve cornerback has played in 20 percent of New England’s defensive snaps this season, down from 39 percent last year. He started two games this season while Christian Gonzalez was out. Austin has 13 tackles this season. He has played in all 12 games, primarily on special teams.
The Patriots signed offensive tackle Thayer Munford to the 53-man roster from Cleveland’s practice squad. A pair of Patriots offensive line starters, Will Campbell and Jared Wilson, went down with injuries during Sunday’s win.
New England brought in Munford and signed offensive guard Bill Murray to the practice squad.
Munford, 26, stand 6-feet-6-inches and weighs 331 pounds. He was picked in the seventh round by the Raiders in 2022. Las Vegas cut him this past August before the Browns picked him up. He primary plays right tackle, with 11 of his 18 career starts at the position.
Murray has familiarity with the Patriots, having began his career with New England as an undrafted free-agent in 2020. He spent the past two seasons on the Bears’ practice squad.
New England also announced that it has released running back Jonathan Ward from its practice squad. His time in New England lasted about a month, as he was signed in October.
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