Patriots awarded linebacker Jack Cichy off waivers from Buccaneers

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Jack Cichy has found his next depth chart.

The New England Patriots claimed the 24-year-old Wisconsin product off waivers on Thursday, in a move first reported by NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport and The Athletic’s Greg Auman.

Cichy, who entered the league in the sixth round of the 2018 draft, appeared in 15 games during his tenure with the Buccaneers. He stands with six career tackles through seven snaps on defense and 259 snaps on special teams.

The 6-foot-2, 238-pound Cichy has spent time on injured reserve in each of his three seasons following ACL, elbow and hamstring injuries. He had been activated by Tampa Bay on Nov. 28 and waived on Wednesday after residing among the Week 12 inactives.

New England currently holds a pair of openings on the 53-man roster, and will receive an exemption for Cichy as part of the league’s Covid-19 testing protocols, according to the transaction wire.

The Patriots visit the Los Angeles Chargers for a 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff Sunday at SoFi Stadium.