Patriots put RB Terrell Jennings on injured reserve, sign RB JaMycal Hasty to bolster depth

The New England Patriots adjusted their running back depth on Wednesday, placing Terrell Jennings on injured reserve and signing JaMycal Hasty in response. The move reshapes the team’s immediate rotation heading into the 2026 season, because an injured reserve designation removes a player from the active pool for that year’s eligibility window.

According to Pro Football Rumors, Jennings is now on injured reserve, which means he will not be eligible to play during the upcoming 2026 season. That changes the Patriots’ internal depth picture, especially beyond the top end of the position group, where teams typically rely on mid-roster backs to cover practice workload, preseason reps, and early regular-season carry projections.

With Jennings unavailable, the Patriots created the need for another back on the roster, and Hasty was signed to take the open spot. While Hasty’s addition is primarily a roster-management decision in the short term, it also indicates New England’s intent to maintain a functional group for training camp and the early part of the season, when injuries and workload management can quickly thin out positions.

In the NFL, injured reserve is one of the league’s primary tools for teams trying to protect roster spots while a player recovers. It also tends to shift responsibility to remaining backs and can increase the likelihood of younger or less-established players receiving more practice reps. For the Patriots, the Jennings placement effectively turns the 2026 backfield into a more fluid situation outside of the top tier of the depth chart.

Hasty’s signing, as reported, is the immediate counterweight. Without specific details on Jennings’ injury or the exact timing of the IR move, the most reliable takeaway is the roster consequence. New England now has one fewer running back available from its previous corps, and one more player added to stabilize the position group during the offseason-to-season transition.

What to watch next is how the Patriots use Hasty in the rotation and whether the team further adjusts the group before the regular-season opener. The backfield is often one of the first places teams look when they need reliable depth behind their primary ball carriers, and early usage patterns can foreshadow who becomes the next bridge option if further absences occur.