Foxborough, MA – In a lightning-fast display of savvy roster management that reeks of Bill Belichick’s legendary opportunism, the New England Patriots wasted no time pouncing on a proven NFL commodity left dangling by the Arizona Cardinals. Just hours after D’Ernest Johnson was unceremoniously cut from Arizona’s practice squad on Tuesday afternoon, the Pats inked the 29-year-old running back to their own taxi squad, bolstering an already deepening backfield at Gillette Stadium.
The move, which became official on Wednesday, underscores the Patriots’ aggressive approach to the waiver wire and practice squad scrambles as they navigate a grueling 2025 season. With head coach Mike Vrabel at the helm and Belichick pulling strings from the front office shadows, New England continues to defy expectations for a franchise in rebuild mode. Johnson’s addition isn’t just depth—it’s a calculated infusion of veteran savvy into a unit that’s been tested by injuries and trades.
Johnson, a gritty South Florida product who’s laced up for 96 NFL games across multiple franchises, brings a resume that screams reliability. Over his career, he’s churned out 989 rushing yards on 215 carries, complemented by 465 receiving yards on 53 catches. That’s three touchdowns and three starts under his belt, but his real value shines in the trenches: 892 offensive snaps and a whopping 931 on special teams, where he’s doubled as a dynamic returner. At 5-foot-10 and 208 pounds, Johnson isn’t the flashiest back in the league, but he’s the kind of plug-and-play pro who can spell starters and flip field position with ease.
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His NFL odyssey reads like a journeyman’s highlight reel. Undrafted out of college in 2019, Johnson first tested the pro waters in the short-lived Alliance of American Football with the Orlando Apollos. That spring, he latched on with the Cleveland Browns, where he exploded onto the scene in 2021—rushing for 146 yards and a score on just 22 carries, earning FedEx Ground Player of the Week honors in the process. Stints with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Baltimore Ravens followed, honing his multi-tool skill set before a mid-September detour to the NFC West with Arizona. But the Cardinals’ crowded backfield left him expendable, and poof—he was on the market.
Enter the Patriots, who see Johnson as the perfect chess piece for a backfield puzzle that’s seen more twists than a Tom Brady comeback drive. To clear space in their 17-man practice squad, New England elevated running back Terrell Jennings to the 53-man roster—a procedural no-brainer after the 24-year-old Florida A&M alum maxed out his standard elevations from the taxi squad. Jennings, who reverted for the third and final time on Monday, steps up as a full-time contributor behind starter Rhamondre Stevenson and rookie sensation TreVeyon Henderson. Veteran Antonio Gibson’s stint on injured reserve had already thinned the herd, but two trades just a week shy of the league’s deadline created the vacancies that made this shuffle possible.
Jennings has been a revelation in limited action this October, logging 14 offensive snaps and 27 on special teams. He posted 33 yards on seven carries and notched his first career tackle in kickoff coverage—a hustle play that didn’t go unnoticed. Signed as an undrafted free agent after rookie minicamp in 2024, the 6-foot, 217-pound bruiser bounced between the practice squad and active roster last year before sticking on the scout team post-waivers in August. His promotion feels inevitable, especially with Vrabel singing his praises to reporters earlier this week.
“I think we all want Terrell here,” Vrabel said, his voice carrying the weight of a coach who’s seen enough tape to know a keeper when he spots one. “So, however we have to handle that, I mean, the only other option is just to bring him up. He’s been a good addition. He’s been prepared for his opportunity. He’s helped on special teams, had a tackle [Sunday] on kickoff. And so, those are all really good things. I think he’s a good teammate. So, yeah, I think that’s only probably procedural at the end of the week.”
This isn’t the first time the Pats have flexed their roster muscles lately. The 6-2 club—yes, they’re legit contenders in the AFC East—recently added running backs Jonathan Ward and Rushawn Baker to the practice squad, turning their backfield into a veritable United Nations of ball-carriers. It’s Belichick’s fingerprints all over this: spotting value where others see scraps, and turning a release into a resource. Johnson’s arrival adds another layer of competition and insurance, especially with the trade deadline looming and bumps-and-bruises an inevitability in a league that chews up backs like candy.
As the Atlanta Falcons roll into Foxborough for a 1 p.m. ET showdown on Sunday, Patriots fans can exhale a bit easier knowing their ground game has some extra horsepower in reserve. Whether Johnson sees the field or mans the sidelines with a headset, his mere presence screams “Do Your Job”—a mantra that’s never gone out of style in New England. In a league full of splashy free-agent splurges, Belichick’s understated genius reminds us: Sometimes, the best moves are the ones no one sees coming. Until they do.