The New England Patriots have made a difficult roster decision as they ended a three-season run with one of their most familiar special teams player. Head coach Mike Vrabel’s team has now opted to move on from punter Bryce Baringer, after he was removed from injured reserve.
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NFL reporter Carlos A. Lopez reported on X, “The #Patriots are releasing P Bryce Baringer, per @Schultz_Report. Baringer was selected in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft and served as New England’s starting punter for three seasons. He has been on injured reserve this entire season.”
The decision ended Baringer’s tenure in New England. He is healthy now, but the Patriots have decided against opening his return window from the injured reserve. They chose to continue with the veteran punter Mitch Wishnowsky, who has handled punting duties throughout the 2026 season.
Baringer was selected by New England in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Michigan State. That year was the last season of Bill Belichick as the head coach at New England, as the team ended the season with a 4-13 record. Still, Baringer had a breakout rookie year with 98 punts for 4,598 yards and eight touchbacks. He eventually became the team’s starting punter, appearing in all 51 regular-season games during his first three seasons.
Across that stretch, he averaged 47.9 yards per punt, with an average of 9.1 kicks landing inside the opponents’ 20-yard line and seven touchbacks per season. Those numbers made him essential on the Patriots’ special teams unit.
However, his 2026 season took a different turn before the regular season even began. Baringer suffered a lower-body injury during the Patriots’ preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles, which forced the team to explore other options at punter. Vrabel believed that the injury was serious enough for them to look for a replacement.
New England then brought in other options before Wishnowsky started handling the job as a punter. Baringer was on injured reserve throughout the season, due to which he couldn’t compete for his role while his replacement continued to build.
Wishnowsky made the most of that opportunity. He has averaged 47.1 yards per punt during the opening stretch of the season, giving the Patriots a reliable option while Baringer recovered. That performance made the decision easier for the team.
With Wishnowsky already as punter, bringing Baringer would mean reopening a position that the team appears comfortable leaving unchanged. Roster management also mattered. Teams have a limited number of chances to return players from injured reserve, and New England has dealt with multiple injuries this season.
But there can be chances for the punter to return if an injury hits Wishnowsky. The Patriots released their offensive lineman, Andrew Rupcich, similarly, and he was brought back due to injury concerns at the franchise.
The injury may have started the chain of events, but Wishnowsky’s performance has helped determine how it ends. With Baringer now available to explore, the Patriots are moving forward with a new name at the position he held for three seasons.