The New England Patriots elevated RB Lan Larison and P Mitch Wishnowsky from the practice squad to the active roster, a move that changes two spots on the team’s immediate depth chart. It puts Larison, 24, and a veteran punter with seven NFL seasons behind him in position to help the Patriots right away.
The timing is what gives the move its weight. Larison was signed by New England as a rookie free agent on May 9, 2025 out of UC Davis, spent his rookie season on injured reserve, was released on Aug. 30 and returned to the practice squad on Sept. 1. Wishnowsky arrived with far more mileage: he entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick by San Francisco in the 2019 NFL Draft out of Utah, played 105 regular-season games, and has 156 punts inside the 20-yard line.
That background helps explain why the Patriots would turn to him now. Wishnowsky’s path has already run through San Francisco from 2019 to 2024 and Buffalo in 2025, where he signed on Sept. 30, 2025 and played in 13 games before Buffalo released him on Aug. 30, 2026. New England signed him to its practice squad on Aug. 31, 2026, then moved him up with Larison today, signaling that the club wanted two ready bodies on the active roster rather than a longer wait on the practice squad.
There is also a reason some caution comes with the move. Wishnowsky was elevated for one game with Washington on Sept. 10, 2025, but he did not play and was later released from that practice squad, a reminder that an elevation does not guarantee snaps. The Patriots did not say in the announcement which opponent or game the elevations are tied to, and they did not indicate whether either player is expected to see action immediately.
For Larison, the promotion is a step back onto the game-day roster after a lost rookie year. For Wishnowsky, it is another chance to convert a veteran resume into a real workload. The open question is whether this is a short-term move for one week or the start of a longer run for two players who reached the active roster together.
