The New England Patriots boosted their defensive backfield on Tuesday by signing veteran cornerback Tae Hayes to the practice squad.
Since going undrafted in 2019, the Appalachian State standout has bounced around to different teams, including the Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers.
He also appeared in the USFL as a ninth-round draft pick for the championship-winning Birmingham Stallions.
Patriots fans might remember Hayes for snagging a pick-six off backup quarterback Bailey Zappe in the preseason game against the Panthers back in August. He scored the only touchdown for Carolina in that meeting in a game where he finished with four tackles and one pass deflection.
Pick 6 Tae Hayes!
📺: #CARvsNE on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/IOlNg81vP9 pic.twitter.com/zYqDJhXJfn— NFL (@NFL) August 20, 2022
The Patriots are hoping there’s more where that play came from considering they’ve been dealing with some injuries in the defensive backfield. They were forced to face the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 16 without both Jalen Mills and Jack Jones on the field.
So a depth signing at the position was very much-needed.
