Examining the roster ties between Patriots, Jets ahead of Week 3

The lone former New England Patriots player currently in the fold for the New York Jets is on the staff.

But aside from special teams assistant Leon Washington in East Rutherford, there are three connections in Foxborough between head coach Bill Belichick’s active roster and practice squad.

Here’s a glimpse into the few ties ahead of Sunday’s 1 p.m. ET meeting at MetLife Stadium.

NEW ENGLAND

Ty Montgomery, running back — The All-American out of Stanford has made stops with five organizations since landing in the third round of the 2015 NFL draft. The Jets marked the third. Montgomery signed a one-year deal with New York in the spring of 2019 after time with the Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Ravens. He went on to handle 32 carries for 103 yards, 13 catches for 90 yards and 18 kickoff returns for 364 yards that season. While appearing in every game and starting twice, Montgomery played 149 snaps on offense and 176 snaps on special teams. A pair of campaigns with the New Orleans Saints followed before he revisited the AFC East. After scoring one touchdown in his lone appearance last fall before going to injured reserve, the 30-year-old Montgomery began this fall on the practice squad. He was promoted to the 53-man roster prior to the opener and has since had a hand in New England’s rushing, receiving and returning, including a long of 43 yards.

Calvin Anderson, offensive tackle — The bookend by way of Texas and Rice signed with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2019. His stint lasted 11 days. The Jets claimed Anderson off waivers that May in the gap between rookie minicamp and organized team activities. He would go on to spend four weeks of the regular season on the practice squad before agreeing to depart for a spot on the Denver Broncos’ active roster. The 27-year-old remained there to appear in the initial 41 games and initial 12 starts of his career. Anderson then circled back as an unrestricted free agent in March, reaching a two-year contract with the organization that he entered the NFL with. After spending the duration of training camp and the preseason on the non-football illness list, Anderson started at right tackle in Week 1 and stayed in for all 80 offensive downs. He remained there last Sunday.

T.J. Luther, wide receiver — The Patriots signed Luther to the practice squad as the calendar turned to September. The 23-year-old undrafted rookie from Wofford and Gardner-Webb had resided with the Jets from May to August. Prior to clearing waivers at the league’s roster deadline, Luther drew five targets in preseason action while also working in the kicking game. As a graduate student for the Runnin’ Bulldogs in 2022, Luther recorded 55 receptions for 1,035 yards and seven touchdowns through a dozen contests. He took home first-team All-Big South honors by year’s end.