Last Thursday, the New England Patriots decided to trade defensive lineman Michael Bennett to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick in the NFL’s 2021 draft. The move was a positive one for all parties involved, as it helped the Patriots free up additional salary cap space while also creating an open spot on their 53-man roster. The expectation was that it would be filled by N’Keal Harry at one point.
Before the first-round rookie wide receiver will join the team off injured reserve, however, another player has been signed to fill the spot vacated by Bennett’s departure last week: as first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Patriots have re-signed quarterback Cody Kessler after spending the weekend with only 52 players on their active team.
Kessler, of course, has been with the Patriots before as he joined Tom Brady and Jarrett Stidham on New England’s quarterback depth chart in late September. However, the 26-year-old resided exclusively among the game-day inactives during his short first stint in New England before getting released again on October 15. Now, the former third-round draft pick by the Cleveland Browns is back in the team’s fold.
The question, of course, is for how long: with Harry eligible to play in Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens, the team is expected to make a move this week (or else the rookie would remain on injured reserve for the rest of the season). Kessler’s standing on the roster therefore remains as fragile as it was during his first few weeks with the club.