The New England Patriots have been among the surprise teams this season, as they have exceeded expectations with a 7-2 record. As the number one seed in the AFC East, the Patriots have been riding the Drake Maye wave, with the sophomore recording 2,285 passing yards, a 74.1% pass completion, and 17 touchdowns. Building on Maye’s near-MVP season, New England recently signed a wide receiver with strong Hall of Fame ties, who could help the Patriots as they look to make a deep run this season.

This player is Brenden Rice, the son of San Francisco 49ers legend and Hall of Fame WR Jerry Rice. New England signed Rice to its practice squad after the Los Angeles Chargers waived him. Reacting to this move, the 23-year-old expressed gratitude for this opportunity on social media. Rice shared an Instagram story with a picture of his bags as he got ready for New England, which had the caption, “I’m so thankful, Lord.”

Unlike his father, Brenden Rice hasn’t burst onto the scene; rather, his young NFL career has been marred by roster instability. The Chargers drafted the younger Rice in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft. In his rookie season, the former USC WR primarily played on special teams before finishing the year on injured reserve. Looking at his numbers, Brenden Rice recorded just three offensive snaps and did not record an official NFL reception in his debut season.

Then, in the 2025 season, he was waived as part of the final roster cuts in August. Though Rice hasn’t showcased his ability in the NFL, his 111 receptions for 1,821 yards and 21 touchdowns in his college career are signs of potential. Now a member of the Patriots’ practice squad, Rice could soon rise in the ranks with starting WR Kayshon Boutte suffering a hamstring injury.

Will Patriots’ Kayshon Boutte play against Tampa Bay?

As the Patriots extend their winning streak to six games, they will face a tough competitor in the Baker Mayfield-led Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 10. But ahead of this matchup at the Raymond James Stadium, New England is in a pinch with WR Kayshon Boutte‘s hamstring injury from the Week 9 clash against the Atlanta Falcons. Boutte has been a vital cog in the New England offense with 23 receptions for 431 yards and five receiving TDs through week 9.

Addressing this injury, Boutte took to his Discord and confirmed that he should soon be back on the field. Boutte was hopeful in his update, writing, “@everyone just got the MRI results back, it’s only a grade 1 sprain so that’s good shouldnt be out too long but we working to get back. it’s a possibility I play sunday in Tampa depending on how i’m feeling, but if not then hopefully i’m good for the Jets on TNF. I’ll keep yall updated. just know i’m working to get it stronger and come back better.”

Now with Boutte questionable, it’ll be interesting to see how Vrabel game plans against the Tampa Bay defense, which has put forth some outstanding performances through the 2025 season.