Patriots add RB JaMycal Hasty, place RB Terrell Jennings on injured reserve

The New England Patriots announced on Thursday that they have signed running back JaMycal Hasty. In the same transaction, the team placed running back Terrell Jennings on injured reserve, a move that shifts the backfield rotation heading into the late stages of the preseason and the final stretch of roster decisions.

Hasty’s signing gives the Patriots another player in the competition for touches among their tailback group. In the NFL’s preseason rhythm, a new addition like this is often aimed at both immediate practice-squad value and evaluation at a position where teams can never fully predict availability from week to week.

Jennings’ placement on injured reserve removes him from active availability for the current period. While injured reserve does not automatically end a season, it does reduce a team’s short-term options, particularly in a preseason window where coaching staffs are using limited snaps to separate the end-of-roster players from the rest.

The Patriots have a consistent need to build depth at running back because injuries, workload management, and special-teams roles can change quickly. With Jennings sidelined, New England’s remaining backs are likely to see more reps in practice and more opportunities to show pass-protection ability, ball security, and situational awareness.

For Hasty, the immediate challenge will be translating his work in practice to the team’s game plan and demonstrating reliability in standard backfield responsibilities. Those skills matter early in training-camp phases, especially when teams are deciding who can contribute beyond a single role.

New England’s announcement also came with promotional information about upcoming Patriots television coverage, including a Patriots-Colt broadcast plan. That context underscores that the organization is continuing to frame the next stretch as an evaluation period for player availability and role clarity.

As the Patriots move through the coming days, the key storyline will be how quickly Hasty integrates and whether the team adjusts its backfield usage to compensate for Jennings’ absence. The transaction also leaves the door open for additional depth moves if the team’s remaining running backs cannot absorb the increased workload.