The New England Patriots elevated Lan Larison and Mitch Wishnowsky from the practice squad to the active roster on Wednesday, giving the rookie running back another shot on game week after a season that began on injured reserve.
For Larison, the move is the first clear sign that New England wants him available now, not later. He was signed as a rookie free agent on May 9, 2025, out of UC Davis, released on Aug. 30 and brought back to the practice squad on Sept. 1. At 24 years old and listed at 5-foot-11 and 209 pounds, he is still early in his pro career, but the Patriots have now moved him onto the 53-man roster when roster spots are tight and every elevation is a direct choice.
That choice matters because Larison spent his rookie season on injured reserve before this promotion. The Patriots did not need to make this move for bookkeeping alone. They elevated him alongside Wishnowsky and continued a day of roster churn that also included Elliott Davison joining the practice squad, Shane Zylstra added to the practice squad, and several other transactions across the roster. Larison’s elevation separates him from a group that has mostly been shuffled in and out of New England’s depth chart.
The unanswered part is whether he will be active for the game after the elevation, and that is what gives the move its immediate edge. An elevation does not guarantee touches or snaps, but it does put Larison in position to be used if the Patriots decide the back deserves a real look. After a rookie year spent on the sideline, Wednesday’s move says he is no longer being treated as a developmental name. He is being treated as part of the plan.
