Amidst the commotion of the NFL's roster cutdown deadline, the Patriots continue to be presented with opportunities to reunite with some of their former players who make sense for their current roster. The latest of which is one who is familiar with not only New England but also Josh McDaniels, as he followed the current offensive coordinator to the Raiders when he became their head coach in 2022.
It was announced on Tuesday afternoon that fullback Jakob Johnson had been released from the Texans, where he spent this past offseason. He was with the Giants in 2024, participating in only three games, and is now seeking the next stop in his NFL career.
Texans are releasing fullback Jakob Johnson.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 26, 2025
That could very well be the Patriots, especially since they appeared to be on the path to having a fullback on their roster until UDFA Brock Lampe suffered a season-ending injury and was placed on injured reserve a few weeks ago.
Josh McDaniels might zero in on Jakob Johnson for the Patriots' 2025 offense
If there were plans to utilize a fullback in this year's offense, there might be no better play for the team to target than Johnson. He hasn't been the most productive at the position since leaving New England in 2022, but McDaniels loves to have the underutilized position on the team, and Johnson could easily be a bonus offensive lineman for a vulnerable group heading into the season.
That might be the best-case scenario, along with potentially signing some of the tackles who were also released during the cutdowns.
On top of that, Johnson's familiarity with what McDaniels likes to do makes him an easy signing that can immediately come in and integrate into the offense, and Vrabel and Co. don't have to worry about any growing pains with him.
The problem is that now insiders are speculating about the Texans re-signing Johnson to the practice squad. That would eliminate him from being signed by the Patriots from the outset, unless they pursue him at some point during the season, as they can sign players from other teams' practice squads.
It will depend on whether Johnson views his future brighter in Houston or New England. At first glance, it seems like he would have a better chance at actually playing on game day with the Patriots than with the Texans, but we'll have to wait and see how things shape up.
This might be the Patriots' best chance of getting a solid fullback on the team for the season ahead. Otherwise, they'll have to go with who they currently have and be good with that.