Injuries were a major problem for the Patriots going into the 2026 season, with several starters on the Physically Unable to Perform list or on Injured Reserve. That trend has continued through the first half of the season.
Among the most concerning absences in Week 1 was punter Bryce Baringer, who had become an integral part of the special teams operation after being drafted in 2023. Although he had been more inconsistent over the past year, replacing a punter is never easy, so the Patriots had a new task at hand.
They landed on Mitch Wishnowsky, the seasoned veteran, who was a bit of a risk given his limited experience with the team, but over 7 games, he's exceeded expectations and sparked plenty of conversation about potentially replacing Baringer long term.
And by the looks of it, with the Patriots' latest move, it's possible that's already happened.
NFL insiders said Baringer was released on Monday morning, officially off IR and ready to return to the game. This lets him play elsewhere right away, but it might not be the Patriots anytime soon.
Patriots release Bryce Baringer after IR stint - but could he return?
Although he hasn't played a snap this season, the news of Baringer's release was somewhat shocking, as he was presumed to be the team's punter with no indication he had been replaced, even with Wishnowsky's stellar performance.
There had been no real signs of unhappiness with Baringer's production throughout the summer, but his late placement on IR forced many changes, and now the Patriots face a big decision for the rest of the season.
Because he was eligible to return from IR, and the team is currently sitting with only 6 activations left for the rest of the season, there's a chance they chose to release Baringer once he's healthy to skirt that rule and avoid using one of those activations on the punter.
Their IR list is long, with several considered far more valuable to return than the punter, most notably Romeo Doubs, Reggie Gilliam, Mack Hollins, Mike Onwenu, and Alijah Vera-Tucker.
It wouldn't be surprising at all if they decided to release Baringer just to re-sign him, to avoid using one of their final activation opportunities. Given the Patriots' history of exploiting such loopholes, it seems almost certain that's what they're doing.
They may also be happy with Wishnowsky's performance and would rather keep him as their punter. He has played exceptionally well in Baringer's place, recording 10/22 punts inside the 20 and averaging 47.1 yards per punt (the second-highest of his career), all of which benefits the Patriots on game day.
Only time will tell, but we can't rule out a Baringer return just yet.
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