Patriots activate Brenden Schooler, place two veterans on injured reserve amid series of moves
· Yahoo Sports
The New England Patriots closed in on the Las Vegas Raiders matchup with one open spot on the 53-man roster. A previous team captain has officially taken it amid a series of transactions.
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The organization activated special teams ace Brenden Schooler on the eve of Sunday’s 1 p.m. ET kickoff at Gillette Stadium.
Schooler, 29, missed all of training camp due to a back issue and remained on the non-football injury list as the NFL’s cutdown deadline passed in August. But his 21-day practice window opened in late September. And after going from a limited participant to a full participant this past week, the core safety did not carry a game designation.
With four games gone to begin the regular season, it marks the earliest possible return under league rules. Since landing in Foxborough as an undrafted free agent in 2022, Schooler has appeared in 66 games. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound former transfer from Oregon to Texas began his stay with PFWA All-Rookie honors in the transitional phase and has since earned Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro selections.
After signing a three-year contract extension in 2024, Schooler was named the captain of the kicking game in 2025 under special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer. He has seen 1,433 snaps on special teams to go with 93 snaps on defense during his tenure. Along the way, 59 tackles, two sacks, four fumble recoveries, one blocked field goal and one blocked punt have been accrued.
But there were additional shoes to drop on Saturday afternoon amid attrition.
The Patriots placed fullback Reggie Gilliam and wide receiver Mack Hollins on injured reserve and signed cornerback Kindle Vildor to the 53-man roster in a corresponding move. The club also elevated linebacker K.J. Britt and safety Elliott Davison from the practice squad.
Gilliam, 29, will now miss a minimum of four games on injured reserve after being ruled out due to ankle and foot issues. The 6-foot-1, 255-pound fullback was a non-participant to end the week. He has seen 58 downs on offense and 39 downs on special teams since agreeing to terms on a three-year deal in March. The former Buffalo Bills lead blocker stands 98 games, including 13 starts, into a run that began as an undrafted rookie out of Toledo in 2020. Gilliam has tallied 153 yards and a pair of touchdowns from scrimmage across 25 career touches.
Hollins, 33, also heads to injured reserve after sustaining a non-contact calf injury last weekend at Highmark Stadium and missing three consecutive practices since then. The 6-foot-4, 221-pound eldest statesman in the wide receiver room stands atop the Patriots with 20 targets, 15 catches and 209 yards through four games this fall. Signed to a two-year deal in 2025, Hollins’ career spans 131 games, 56 starts, 223 catches, 2,828 yards and 17 touchdowns. Selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2017 draft at No. 118 overall, the Super Bowl LII champion out of North Carolina has been a member of six different NFL clubs, including Sunday’s visitors.
Vildor, 28, served as a standard elevation in Orchard Park and now joins the 53-man roster in Foxborough. The 5-foot-11, 189-pound cornerback made his 2026 debut with eight snaps on defense and five snaps on special teams last weekend, notching two tackles with one for loss. Signed in March and retained on the initial practice squad in August, Vildor originally entered the league with the Chicago Bears in the fifth round of the 2020 draft at No. 163 overall. The Georgia Southern product spent time with five other organizations before heading to Gillette Stadium. Through 81 appearances, including 27 starts, he has had a hand in 142 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and two interceptions across 2,113 snaps on defense and 578 snaps in the kicking game.
Britt, 27, signed with the Patriots in March and agreed to join the practice squad at its formation after being released as a vested veteran in August. The 6-foot, 240-pound linebacker now gets his first call of the season as a standard elevation. Britt spent 2025 with the Miami Dolphins after beginning his NFL journey with the Tampa Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2021 draft at No. 176 overall. The Auburn product has appeared 76 games, including 16 starts. He’s recorded 161 tackles to go with a split sack, four stops for loss and three passes defensed through 994 snaps on defense and 1,289 snaps on special teams.
Davison, 24, is in line for his first NFL game action in the regular season as a standard call-up. The 6-foot, 200-pound safety first joined New England’s practice squad as the calendar turned to September and re-signed later on last month. Undrafted out of UTSA in 2025, Davison spent the entirety of his rookie NFL campaign on the practice squad of the New Orleans Saints and cleared waivers at the roster deadline in August. He played 141 snaps between defense and special teams during his sophomore preseason.
With two seasoned starters now placed on IR, the 2-2 Patriots previously ruled out cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis III, Karon Prunty and Channing Canada on the final injury report.
Running back Rhamondre Stevenson, offensive tackle Morgan Moses, defensive tackle Christian Barmore, outside linebacker Dre’Mont Jones, inside linebacker Christian Elliss, cornerback Charles Woods and safety Craig Woodson move forward as questionable to face the 3-1 Raiders.