The New England Patriots have announced several roster changes ahead of the final weeks of the NFL regular season.
Offensive lineman Brenden Jaimes has been promoted from the practice squad to the 53-man active roster. Defensive tackle Joshua Farmer has been placed on injured reserve.
Additionally, running back Elijah Mitchell and wide receiver Brandon Smith have joined the team’s practice squad. Offensive tackle Sebastian Gutierrez has been released from the practice squad.
Jaimes, age 26, first joined New England’s practice squad on September 1, 2025. He was previously elevated for games against Carolina and the New York Giants, where he contributed on special teams. Jaimes was originally a fifth-round draft pick by the Los Angeles Chargers in 2021 after playing college football at Nebraska. He later signed with the Tennessee Titans as an unrestricted free agent in April 2025 before being released in August. Over his career, Jaimes has played in 47 regular season games with three starts at center and appeared in two postseason contests.
Mitchell, age 27, entered the league as a sixth-round pick by the San Francisco 49ers in 2021 out of Louisiana. He signed with Kansas City as an unrestricted free agent during the most recent offseason but appeared in only one game for them before being released on December 20. In total, Mitchell has played in 28 games with 12 starts, accumulating over 1,500 rushing yards and ten touchdowns between rushing and receiving.
Smith, also age 27, began his NFL career as a rookie free agent with Dallas in 2021 after playing at Iowa. He spent two seasons on Dallas’ practice squad before signing with Arizona in 2023 and later joining the New York Jets’ practice squad for the following season. Smith made his NFL debut on special teams for the Jets and appeared in two games this year before being released earlier this month.
Gutierrez, age 27, had multiple stints with New England’s practice squad since first joining briefly in 2022. The offensive tackle initially entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with Denver after playing at Minot State. His career includes time with several teams’ training camps or practice squads and brief active appearances for both Las Vegas and San Francisco.
The Patriots continue to adjust their roster as they approach critical matchups late in the season.
