After 48 hours away, Tanner Arkin has made his way back to the New England Patriots.
The organization officially signed the rookie tight end to the practice squad on Wednesday. He cleared waivers the afternoon prior.
Arkin, 23, had been let go from the 53-man roster on the heels of last weekend’s 45-27 loss to the Green Bay Packers at Gillette Stadium. The 6-foot-4, 262-pound blocking tight end now takes the open spot on the 17-man practice squad after the recent release of outside linebacker Jose
Ramirez.
Arriving in Foxborough as part of the 2026 undrafted class, Arkin outlasted the NFL’s cutdown deadline heading out of training camp. The former transfer from Colorado State to Illinois went on to appear in five games, including back-to-back starts, before finding himself on the league’s transaction wire.
He played 60 snaps on offense and 41 snaps on special teams while also seeing time at fullback in the absence of incumbent Reggie Gilliam, who has since been designated to return from injured reserve.
The Patriots move further into the fall with captain Hunter Henry, No. 95 overall pick Eli Raridon and August waiver claim Cameron Latu on the active tight end depth chart. On the practice squad, Arkin joins September signing Tanner Conner at the position.
Mike Vrabel’s 5-4 team will face Dan Campbell’s 6-2 Detroit Lions in Germany on Sunday as part of the NFL international series. Kickoff at Munich’s Allianz Arena is set for 9:30 a.m. ET.
