Patriots promote linebacker Joe Giles-Harris from practice squad
FOXBORO -- With Ja'Whaun Bentley out with an injury, the Patriots have added a little bit of depth to their defense ahead of Thursday night's Week 3 matchup with the New York Jets. New England elevated linebacker Joe Giles-Harris off its practice squad, the team announced Thursday.
Giles-Harris had a strong training camp and preseason, and made a case for a roster spot when he picked off Washington Commanders quarterback Jeff Driskel in New England's preseason finale. But he was released as the Patriots trimmed their roster to 53 players, and signed to the New England practice squad a few days later. He originally signed with the Patriots ahead of the 2023 season and spent all of last season on the practice squad.
The 6-foot-2, 234-pound linebacker entered the NFL as a rookie free agent in 2019, signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars after playing his college ball at Duke. He bounced between Jacksonville's 53-man roster and practice squad for two years before being released in May of 2021. Giles-Harris then signed with Buffalo ahead of the 2021 season and spent two seasons with the Bills, appearing in three games.
In total, Giles-Harris has played in 17 games (including three starts for the Jags in 2020) over his NFL career, racking up 18 tackles and a sack. He hasn't taken a snap in a regular season game since 2022, when he played 15 special teams snaps for Buffalo.
If he plays at all in Week 3, Giles-Harris will likely see the field on special teams in place for Oshane Ximines, who was also lost to injury in Week 2. But with Bentley reportedly lost for the season with a pectoral injury he suffered last Sunday, the 27-year will give the Patriots a little more depth at linebacker.
Jahlani Tavai and Raekwon McMillan are both expected to see an uptick in action in Bentley's absence. Head coach Jerod Mayo announced during his pregame interview with 98.5 The Sports Hub on Thursday night that Tavai will take over Bentley's green dot duties -- wearing the communication helmet on defense -- against the Jets.
We'll get you ready for Thursday night's Patriots-Jets game starting at 7 p.m. with Patriots GameDay on TV38 and streaming on CBS News Boston! After the game, tune in to Patriots 5th Quarter on WBZ-TV/TV38 for full reaction and analysis.