Aside from the coaching likes of Thomas Brown, Robert Kugler and Ben McAdoo, there isn’t a long line of familiar faces set to meet again in Foxborough on Sunday.
But from the active rosters to the injured reserve lists, three players currently in the fold have been both New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers during their NFL careers.
Here’s a glance through the brief list of ex-Patriots and ex-Panthers ahead of the 1 p.m. ET kickoff at Gillette Stadium.
CAROLINA
LaBryan Ray, defensive end — The Panthers
placed Ray on injured reserve at the 53-man roster deadline in August, but with the designation to return after missing a minimum of four games with an ankle injury. The 27-year-old defensive end has found a home in Charlotte since landing for training camp in 2023. He has appeared in 33 games beyond the preseason, including 10 starts, on the way to tallying 60 tackles and his first NFL sack. Entering the league in Foxborough as an undrafted free agent in 2022, the Alabama product spent his rookie campaign on the practice squad. A month after signing a futures contract with the Patriots during the 2023 offseason, Ray was waived and made a spring stop with the USFL’s Philadelphia Stars.
Mike Jackson, cornerback — Stints with the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions were how the journey began for the No. 158 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft. And amid the preseason in 2020, it continued with a trade to Foxborough in exchange for a conditional seventh-rounder. Jackson would be waived at the cutdown deadline weeks later, but the cornerback returned as part of the practice squad and debuted in that year’s finale. He went on to spend parts of three campaigns with the Seattle Seahawks and was dealt to the NFC South in 2024. The 28-year-old Jackson has started all 20 games since then while earning a two-year contract extension. To date, his time in the Carolina secondary includes 87 tackles, 20 passes defensed and a trio of interceptions. Last Sunday’s against the Atlanta Falcons brought a 54-yard return.
NEW ENGLAND
K’Lavon Chaisson, linebacker — Signed to a one-year deal in March, Chaisson has turned in 1.5 sacks as a September starter off the edges for the Patriots. He’s stayed in for 75.8 percent of the defensive snaps. The 26-year-old outside linebacker spent the 2024 offseason with the Panthers but was released before page turned to the regular season. He headed on to AFC West, and from the practice squad to career highs on the 53-man roster of the Las Vegas Raiders. The former national champion out of LSU stands 75 games, 18 starts, 112 tackles, 11.5 sacks into his NFL tenure. Chaisson also stands with one forced fumble and one interception. The Jacksonville Jaguars called his name in the first round of the 2020 draft at No. 20 overall.
