Both served as standard elevations versus the Texans.
D’Ernest Johnson and Leonard Taylor III reverted to the New England Patriots’ practice squad on Monday after serving as standard elevations for the AFC divisional round.
The running back and defensive tackle both had a hand in what became a 28-16 win over the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium.
Johnson, 29, played five snaps on special teams and posted kickoff returns of 22 and 25 yards. The 5-foot-11, 205-pound running back had been waived to open a spot on the 53-man roster last week before rejoining the practice squad. He continued to round out an active depth chart led by starter Rhamondre Stevenson and rookie TreVeyon Henderson on Sunday.
Heading to Foxborough in October, Johnson has made nine appearances in all for the Patriots, totaling 25 yards as a rusher and 175 yards as a kickoff returner. The 2018 undrafted free agent out of South Florida stands as a veteran of 107 combined NFL games. He has handled 228 carries for 1,014 yards, 53 catches for 467 yards, as well as three starts and three touchdowns in the regular season. The Alliance of American Football alum made previous stops with the Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens and Arizona Cardinals.
Taylor, 23, made his playoff debut in the wild card against the Los Angeles Chargers and got the nod again against the conference’s No. 5 seed. After playing 22 snaps last week, the 6-foot-3, 305-pound defensive lineman logged an additional 19 snaps between defensive and special teams on Sunday.
Also signed to the practice squad in October on the way reaching the elevation limit by January, Taylor’s stay with the AFC East champions has featured eight tackles and one quarterback hit. The former Miami Hurricane entered the league with the New York Jets in 2024. His career includes 35 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a handful of stops for lost yardage through 21 total games.
Three elevations from the practice squad are permitted in the regular season before requiring a move to the 53-man roster to take the field. Once the calendar turns to the playoffs, there is no call-up ceiling.
Head coach Mike Vrabel’s side will visit the Denver Broncos for the AFC Championship Game next Sunday. Kickoff at Mile High’s Empower Field is set for 3 p.m. ET.
Category: General Sports
