During the 2026 NFL preseason, the New England Patriots had a three-way competition taking place for the team’s third running back spot between rookie seventh-round pick Jam Miller, veteran Hassan Haskins, and second-year former undrafted free agent Lan Larison.
However, the front office looks to be bringing in an outside hire to fill their final backfield spot on the depth chart, acquiring running back Corey Kiner from the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for a seventh-round pick in 2028.
The Patriots are acquiring RB Corey Kiner in exchange for a ‘28 7th round pick, per @AdamSchefter.
— Jack Aylmer (@Jack_Aylmer) August 29, 2026
A rookie UDFA last season, he totaled 12 carries for 58 yards and 2 catches for 15 yards across 4 games in ‘25. Had 204 carries for 1,153 yards and 4 TDs at Cincinnati in ‘24. pic.twitter.com/9UZovvIWmw
Who is New England’s newest running back?
Now entering his sophomore season in the NFL, Kiner initially came into the league with Arizona as an undrafted free agent out of Cincinnati.
His most productive season in college came in 2024, when Kiner recorded 204 carries for 1,153 yards and four touchdowns, to go along with 16 catches for 111 yards.
He saw action in four regular-season games last year, but had some success in his limited opportunities. Kiner finished the 2025 campaign with 12 rushing attempts for 58 yards (4.8 yards per carry), while also bringing in two catches for 15 yards.
The Patriots chose Kiner over other in-house options
Each player jockeying for New England’s RB3 spot before Kiner's addition brought something to the table that merited consideration for them to make the roster.
The Patriots just invested draft capital in Miller, Haskins has much-needed experience returning kickoffs, and Larison excelled in the preseason with a team-high 196 all-purpose yards.
Meanwhile, Kiner had a very productive preseason of his own with Arizona, taking 39 carries for 180 yards (second-most on the team) and two touchdowns.
He’s also seen some reps as a kick returner throughout his football career, taking two kicks back for 36 yards in college and one return for 22 yards in the pros.
The Patriots liked what they’ve seen out of Kiner enough to trade for the Cincinnati product rather than risk him being claimed by another team if the Cardinals had released him. However, it wouldn’t be surprising if New England views the RB3 competition as still ongoing, even if the preseason has concluded.
Expect the team to carry at least one other rusher on their practice squad, leaving the door open for a possible in-season elevation should Kiner fail to meet expectations.
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