Patriots sign Ty Montgomery to 53-man roster, place Jack Jones on IR

Patriots

Montgomery played one game for the Patriots last season.

The Patriots made a series of roster moves on Saturday ahead of their season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

Second-year cornerback Jack Jones, who was ruled out of Sunday’s game, was placed on injury reserve on Saturday. As a corresponding move, New England signed veteran running back Ty Montgomery to the 53-man roster. He was previously signed to the Patriots’ practice squad.

New England also elevated linebacker Calvin Munson from the practice squad. He is not a standard practice squad elevation, according to Mike Reiss.

Montgomery is entering his ninth season in the NFL. He’s spent time as both a receiver and running back and signed with the Patriots in 2022. He only appeared in one game last season before an injury sidelined him for the remainder of the year. Montgomery suffered another injury at the beginning of training camp but returned to practice in late Aug.

The most productive season of Montgomery’s career came with the Green Bay Packers in 2016. That year, he rushed for 457 yards and added 348 receiving yards. He fills New England’s need for a pass-catching back, behind the Patriots’ workhorse back Rhamondre Stevenson and newly-signed veteran Ezekiel Elliott.

Munson made a case to land on New England’s 53-man roster after his performance in the preseason. Instead, he wound up on the Patriots practice squad, but he will be available for Sunday’s game following his elevation on Saturday. Munson has been in the NFL since 2017 after going undrafted.

Now that Jack Jones has been placed on IR, he will miss a minimum of four games before being eligible to return to New England’s active roster. He is reportedly dealing with a hamstring injury.

Earlier on Saturday, New England signed quarterback Bailey Zappe to the 53-man roster, replacing Matt Corral. Zappe will officially be Mac Jones’s backup on Sunday.