The New England Patriots traveled to Duval County with two seasoned call-ups from the practice squad.
The organization elevated safety Mike Brown and defensive tackle Jeremiah Pharms Jr. on the eve of Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Both are scheduled to revert following the road trip.
Brown, 26, agreed to terms in Foxborough as the 2026 league year opened in March after not being tendered as a restricted free agent. He was released and retained on the practice squad at the end of August.
The 6-foot-1, 218-pound Miami of Ohio product has appeared in 35 games since entering the NFL as an undrafted rookie in 2022.
Following tours on the practice squads of the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns, Brown joined the 53-man roster of head coach Mike Vrabel’s former Tennessee Titans in 2023 and started five games while in the AFC South. The safety’s career includes 60 tackles and a pair of pass deflections through 503 snaps on defense and 760 snaps on special teams.
Pharms, 29, signed to New England’s practice squad at its formation after being waived at the league’s cutdown deadline. The 6-foot-2, 300-pound defensive tackle stands 31 games and a handful of starts into his stay. After going undrafted in 2020 and making stops with the Champions Indoor Football League’s Wichita Force and USFL’s Pittsburgh Maulers, he made his way to Gillette Stadium ahead of training camp in 2022.
Across 594 snaps on defense and 128 snaps on special teams for the Patriots, Pharms has totaled 45 tackles, two sacks and one fumble recovery. The former linebacker out of Sacramento City College, San Joaquin Delta College and Friends University finished the 2025 run to Super Bowl LX on the practice squad before re-upping on a futures contract.
Two standard elevations remain for Brown and Pharms before 53-man roster transactions would be required to take the field.
After the past week saw guard Mike Onwenu, outside linebacker Quintayvious Hutchins and safety Dell Pettus all land on injured reserve, the Patriots ruled out veteran edge rusher Dre’Mont Jones on the final injury report. But tight end Eli Raridon and safety Craig Woodson made the trip with questionable game statuses.
Sunday’s kickoff at EverBank Stadium is set for 1 p.m. ET.
