The New England Patriots announced on Monday that they have put punter Bryce Baringer and rookie linebacker Khalil Jacobs on injured reserve.
That explains the team's decision to sign veteran punter Mitch Wishnowsky to the practice squad. By going on IR, both Baringer and Jacobs will have to miss at least four games before having a shot at returning.
Jacobs, an undrafted rookie out of Missouri, was one of the training camp standouts at a position that lacked depth. He flashed as an immediate contributor for the Patriots and earned a spot on the initial 53-man roster. When it comes to finding and developing young talent, the Patriots might look back on this one as a steal if Jacobs can get healthy and continue his upward trajectory.
As for Baringer,
he looked great during the preseason. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury in the team's Week 2 preseason matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, and the team was forced to turn to backup quarterback Behren Morton to punt.
They signed Matt Haack to close out the preseason against the Cleveland Browns. Now, they'll likely move forward with Wishnowsky for the Week 1 Super Bowl rematch against the Seattle Seahawks.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Patriots place two players on injured reserve ahead of season opener
