The final standard elevation is in the rearview for D’Ernest Johnson. Ahead is a spot on the 53-man roster.
Amid a series of moves, the New England Patriots promoted the running back leading up to Sunday’s
game against the Buffalo Bills.
Johnson, 29, had signed to the practice squad at the end of October. From there, he reached the NFL limit in call-ups and reversions in three consecutive weeks. Those November appearances brought a combined 23 snaps between offense and special teams for the 5-foot-11, 205-pound back.
Undrafted in 2018, Johnson stands 99 games into his career. Following a tour with the Alliance of American Football’s Orlando Apollos, the South Florida product landed with the Cleveland Browns in 2019 and went on to earn FedEx Ground Player of the Week during his stay. He made subsequent stops with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens and Arizona Cardinals.
Along with three starts and three touchdowns, Johnson’s time in the league includes 219 rushes for 996 yards, 53 receptions for 467 yards, as well as 33 kickoff returns for 772 yards. The vested veteran now resides in an active backfield led by starter Rhamondre Stevenson and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month TreVeyon Henderson.
“Yeah, D’Ernest will probably get to the game and help us,” head coach Mike Vrabel said during his Friday press conference. “We’ll have to figure some things out now, this afternoon or tomorrow, with the roster.”
The Patriots placed incumbent third running back Terrell Jennings, who was ruled out on the final injury report due to a concussion, on injured reserve in a corresponding move. The club also elevated defensive tackle Leonard Taylor III from the practice squad for Sunday.
Jennings, 24, will now miss the final four games of the regular season before being eligible to return. The 6-foot, 217-pound rusher had not practiced since entering concussion protocol in the first half against the New York Giants prior to the bye week.
A rookie minicamp tryout in 2024, Jennings has appeared in 10 games during his run in Foxborough. Signed back to the active roster from the practice squad in October, the Florida A&M alum’s career includes 115 yards and one touchdown acriss 37 touches from scrimmage. He has added three tackles on special teams this campaign while also returning two kickoffs for 59 yards.
Taylor, 23, joined New England’s practice squad in the fall after clearing waivers elsewhere in the AFC East. The 6-foot-3, 305-pound defensive lineman went undrafted out of the University of Miami in 2024, and appeared in 16 games while a member of the New York Jets.
During his initial stint in the division, Taylor logged 27 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a pair of batted passes through 308 snaps on defense and 14 snaps on special teams.
Sunday’s kickoff at Gillette Stadium is set for 1 p.m. ET.
