It was a busy Saturday for the New England Patriots ahead of an important Week 6 matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
The team is sitting at 1-4 and last place in the AFC East division. So there’s no denying the desperation within the Patriots’ organization heading into a must-win game against the Raiders.
One of the first orders of business was promoting rookie quarterback Malik Cunningham to the main roster on a new three-year deal, reportedly. Cunningham is a versatile player that can help the Patriots at quarterback, receiver and/or special teams.
The team also announced that four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Matthew Judon and offensive lineman Tyrone Wheatley Jr. were both being placed on injured reserve.
With two players going on IR, the corresponding moves to fill those roster positions were practice squad elevations for wide receiver Jalen Reagor and defensive lineman Jeremiah Pharms Jr.
Also, the team announced second-year wide receiver Tyquan Thornton was being activated off IR.
This could be viewed as a big opportunity for players like Thornton, Cunningham, Reagor and Pharms to show their worth with the rest of the team struggling. At this point, everyone could be on thin ice for the Patriots.
