The Patriots announced a series of moves on Tuesday. First up, running back Kevin Harris was signed to the active roster. Harris deserves the promotion as he worked hard and put himself in position to take advantage of his opportunity when it presented itself. 

The Patriots also added depth by signing running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn to the practice squad. Vaughn, a 2020 third pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers stands at 5-10 214 pounds and gives the team some much needed depth at the position. 

Quarterback Will Grier was plucked off the practice squad by the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday. The Patriots signed CFL veteran and former Ohio University quarterback Nathan Rourke to the practice squad to replace him. The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder, played in 23 games for the BC Lions and completed 307-of-406 passes for 4,103 yards with 28 touchdowns.

The Patriots also signed defensive back William Hooper to the practice squad. Hooper is re-joining the New England practice squad after being signed on Sept. 13 and released on Sept. 26. He was originally signed by Green Bay as a rookie free agent out of Northwestern State on May 5, 2023. The 5-foot-10, 180-pounder, was released by Green Bay on Aug. 29, 2023. After being released by New England, Hooper spent time on the Arizona practice squad before being released on Dec. 12.

Of course the biggest news of the day was that cornerback J.C Jackson was placed on the reserve/non-football illness list for mental health. Jackson did not play this play this past Sunday against the Chiefs and it was revealed after the game it was due to mental health issues. 

The Patriots traded for Jackson in October after rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez went down for the season with a shoulder injury. 

Jackson’s return has been up and down. He did not travel with the team to Germany for the game against the Colts for missing a meeting. Now his season is more than likely over. 

With three weeks left in the season, expect plenty of player movement.