New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel will be back where he once was on Sunday.
The same sentiment goes for John Streicher, Ryan Cowden, Tony Dews, Todd Downing, Jason Houghtaling, Zak Kuhr, Clint McMillan, Scott Booker, Justin Hamilton, Milton Patterson, Tom Quinn and Frank Piraino. And especially so for Terrell Williams while away from the team.
The connections to the Tennessee Titans continue with the players. Between the active rosters, practice squads and reserve lists, 13 currently in the fold
have been part of both organizations during their NFL careers.
Here’s a glance through the list of former Patriots and former Titans as Sunday’s 1 p.m. ET kickoff at Nissan Stadium nears.
TENNESSEE
Mason Kinsey, wide receiver — Residing on the practice squad this fall, Kinsey entered the NFL as part of Tennessee’s 2020 undrafted class after tallying 50 touchdown catches at Berry College. The Division III standout cleared waivers following his rookie preseason and joined New England’s practice squad at its formation. Released twice from there, he returned to the Titans on a futures contract for 2021. Since then, the 27-year-old receiver and returner has appeared in 15 games as a standard elevation and member of the active roster. His tenure in the AFC South includes 19 punt returns for 138 yards. It also includes four receptions for 27 yards across 117 snaps on offense and 72 snaps on special teams.
Corey Levin, center — Back on the 53-man roster, Levin stands 77 games into his time with the Titans. The organization called his name in the sixth round of the 2017 NFL draft at No. 217 overall. The former Chattanooga Moc made subsequent stops with the Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears and New York Jets. And he spent two days on the practice squad in Foxborough in 2020 before being released, too. The 31-year-old center and guard has started five games while part of the offensive line in Tennessee. He returned there as a waiver claim in September 2021.
Curtis Jacobs, linebacker — Signed to the practice squad before the calendar turned to October, Jacobs served as an elevation during Brian Callahan’s final game as Titans head coach. He had originally been claimed off waivers in the spring. Nashville was the destination for the 23-year-old linebacker as the Patriots cleared room following the 2025 NFL draft. Jacobs appeared in nine games as an undrafted rookie last season after being awarded from the Kansas City Chiefs at the 53-man roster deadline. Those games included a pair of starts off the edges. The Penn State product handled four tackles through 159 snaps worth of defense and special teams.
Joey Slye, kicker — The 29-year-old Slye outlasted a kicker competition at Gillette Stadium in 2024. He set a franchise record with a 63-yarder from there, finishing his lone season with the Patriots having gone 26-of-33 on field goals and 25-of-26 on extra points. A deal with the Titans was struck as an unrestricted free agent. The veteran specialist has made 76.5 percent of his field goals and missed one extra point since then, and was ruled out last week due to a calf injury. Entering the NFL as an undrafted rookie out of Virginia Tech in 2018, Slye’s career includes time with eight different organizations. He finds himself 100 games in now.
Matthew Wright, kicker — The Titans brought back the well-traveled Wright on the practice squad last week, and he soon got the call as an elevation. His lone field goal and lone extra point split the uprights from there. Since going undrafted out of Central Florida in 2019, Wright has toured the NFL, been part of the XFL and earned a Super Bowl LVII ring. The 29-year-old kicker has appeared in 29 career games to convert on 87.3 percent of field goals and 95.3 of extra points. His career includes a long of 59 yards. Along the way, Wright spent eight days on the Patriots’ 2023 practice squad as November became December.
NEW ENGLAND
Joshua Dobbs, quarterback — The 30-year-old Dobbs has made one relief appearance this fall behind starter and captain Drake Maye. He joined the quarterback room on a two-year contract in March. The Patriots mark the ninth team for the Tennessee Volunteer, who entered the NFL in the fourth round of the 2017 draft at No. 135 overall. Count the Vrabel’s old club among the previous. Dobbs was signed off the practice squad of the Detroit Lions late in 2022. And amid attrition, the backup became the starter for two games. He went 40-of-68 passing for 411 yards with a pair of touchdowns and a pair of interceptions. An additional 44 yards were accounted for as a rusher.
Austin Hooper, tight end — Hooper has remained with the Patriots on one-year deals in consecutive offseasons. The 30-year-old tight end out of Stanford stands 23 games, 12 starts, 53 catches, 581 yards and a trio of touchdowns into his stay. Entering the NFL in the third round of the 2016 draft at No. 81 overall, Hooper twice earned Pro Bowl selections while a member of the Atlanta Falcons. He has also been a member of three other depth charts. And in 2022, the depth chart at Nissan Stadium was home. That Titans campaign saw Hooper catch passes from Ryan Tannehill, Malik Willis, Derrick Henry as well as his current teammate in Dobbs. His career has featured 145 games, 417 receptions, 4,283 yards and 28 touchdowns.
Andrew Rupcich, guard — The Patriots signed Rupcich to the practice squad at the end of September. The 26-year-old guard had been a Titan until only one day prior. Originally agreeing to terms as an undrafted free agent out of NAIA Culver-Stockton in 2022, Rupcich spent the entirety of his rookie NFL season on the practice squad. He went on to appear in 12 games from 2023 into 2024. A five-game starter over that stretch, the interior lineman finished last campaign on injured reserve yet remained through additional transactions.
Brenden Jaimes, center — The 26-year-old Jaimes signed to New England’s practice squad at the start of September. He served as a standard elevation before the month came to a close, seeing six snaps on field goals and extra points in his Patriots debut. The veteran center has appeared in 47 games since entering the NFL in the fifth round of the 2021 draft at No. 159 overall. He has started three. Setting out with the Los Angeles Chargers, the Nebraska product agreed to terms in Nashville in April. He was released as the roster trimmed from 90 to 53 in August.
Isaiah Iton, defensive tackle — The Patriots waived the 24-year-old Iton with the injury designation midway through the preseason. After suffering a hip injury, he went unclaimed and reverted to injured reserve. Iton had signed in Foxborough after attending rookie minicamp as a sophomore tryout. Entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2024, he spent his rookie year on the practice squad of the Titans and was waived from his futures contract in April. The defensive lineman logged tours at Northern Colorado and Hutchinson Community College before finishing his collegiate career between Ole Miss and Rutgers.
Harold Landry III, linebacker — A three-year contract reunited Landry with familiar faces in a familiar place. The 29-year-old Boston College alum was named a Patriots captain out of training camp. And through six starts off the edges since then, he has amassed 22 tackles, 4.5 sacks and a forced fumble. The Titans released Landry in March after no trade materialized. The outside linebacker had appeared in 98 games, including 79 starts, there dating back to being taken in the second round of the 2018 draft at No. 41 overall. A former Pro Bowler, his run with Tennessee brought 397 tackles, 50.5 sacks as well as three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions.
Robert Spillane, linebacker — Also voted a Patriots captain on the heels of a three-year pact, Spillane has handled 94.8 percent of the defensive snaps this fall. The veteran linebacker leads the team with 50 tackles and stands with one sack, one forced fumble and one interception. In the weeks after going undrafted in 2018, Spillane headed to rookie minicamp with the Titans. Later that May, he penned his first NFL contract. Following a preseason spanning 25 tackles, one sack and one interception, the Western Michigan product was waived and retained on the practice squad. More transactions followed. So did moves in the kicking game with the Pittsburgh Steelers and into full-time starter status with the Las Vegas Raiders. His career has stretched 547 tackles, 9.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, seven interceptions and one touchdown.
Jack Gibbens, linebacker — Nicknamed “Dr. Gibby” by his past and present head coach, Gibbens visited and signed with the Patriots in May. He did so after not being tendered as a restricted free agent. The linebacker originally landed with the Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2022. A graduate transfer from Abilene Christian to Minnesota, Gibbens spent his rookie year between the practice squad and active roster. And by the time his 2024 ended on injured reserve, the 26-year-old had appeared in 29 games. Gibbens totaled 20 starts, 167 tackles, 1.5 sacks and one interception. The Tennessee tenure brought 1,078 snaps on defense and 466 snaps on special teams. He has appeared in every game thus far with New England, posting 27 tackles.
