The New England Patriots are heading into Week 3 with another hole to fill on defense.
The team placed safety Dell Pettus on injured reserve Wednesday and signed linebacker Jose Ramirez from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. New England also added linebacker Benton Whitley to its practice squad.
The moves come as the Patriots prepare for Sunday’s trip to Jacksonville. Both teams enter the matchup at 1–1, with New England looking to build on its first victory of the season.
Safety Depth Becomes a Week 3 Concern
Pettus injured his ankle on a second-quarter punt during Sunday’s win over Pittsburgh, according to Pats Pulpit’s Brian Hines. Craig Woodson also left that game with a shoulder injury.
Woodson’s availability remains a separate question. The Patriots listed him as a non-participant on Wednesday’s injury report, while fellow safety Brenden Schooler was limited with a back issue. Those practice designations do not establish their final game status against the Jaguars.
Jaylen Reed already had to take on more work against the Steelers. Hines reported that Reed played 28 defensive snaps after the injuries, giving the Patriots an early look at how he could handle a larger assignment.
Head coach Mike Vrabel had also pointed to the practice squad as a potential source of help, specifically mentioning veteran safety Mike Brown. That makes the rest of the practice week important: New England still has to determine who can handle the defensive and special teams assignments available in Pettus’s absence.
Jose Ramirez Gets an Active-Roster Opportunity
Ramirez, 27, joined New England’s practice squad on Sept. 1. Tampa Bay selected the Eastern Michigan product in the sixth round of the 2023 draft, and he appeared in four games for the Buccaneers in 2024.
His promotion comes with questions elsewhere in the front seven. Linebackers Quintayvious Hutchins and Dre’Mont Jones also missed Wednesday’s practice, listed with knee and shoulder injuries, respectively.
The roster move gives the coaching staff another available linebacker as it sorts through those injuries. His game-day role will depend on how that group progresses through the week.
Benton Whitley Joins the Practice Squad
Whitley, a Springfield, Massachusetts, native who played at Holy Cross, brings six games of NFL experience. The 27-year-old spent training camp with Cleveland before being waived in August.
Wednesday’s changes followed another significant roster adjustment a day earlier, when New England placed offensive lineman Mike Onwenu on injured reserve and signed punter Mitch Wishnowsky to the active roster.
The immediate concern is how the Patriots divide the work at safety. Reed has already been asked to handle more snaps, and Brown gives Vrabel an experienced option if additional help is needed. Woodson’s progress will shape that decision.
New England can take encouragement from its win over Pittsburgh while recognizing how quickly the personnel picture has changed. This week’s task is to settle those assignments early enough that the replacements can play decisively in Jacksonville.
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