The New England Patriots signed free agent safety Richie Grant to their practice squad just two weeks ago, and he’s already being called up to the 53-man roster for his first game with the team in Week 8 on Sunday.
When Grant was signed, it was during a time that New England was in need of depth at the position while starters Jaylinn Hawkins (hamstring) and rookie Craig Woodson (ankle) each missed games over the last three weeks.
Grant was drafted in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons, and he emerged as a legitimate safety for them. In the next two years that followed, Grant was Atlanta’s starting safety on the field, totaling 2,060 defensive plays, recording 226 tackles and 13 pass deflections in that time.
Patriots Promote Veteran Richie Grant to 53-Man Roster for Week 8
It's also worth mentioning that Grant was drafted and developed by former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith, whose NFL coaching career began with the Tennessee Titans. He worked his way up from quality control and then spent most of his years with the tight ends.
When Mike Vrabel was the head coach of the Titans, he named Smith as offensive coordinator in 2019 and 2020 before he was hired as the head coach of the Falcons. It’s fair to say that Vrabel has trust in the way that Smith coaches and believes that one of his former players will be serviceable for his own team.
With the Patriots being thin at safety, which includes Kyle Duggar being inactive, Grant’s call-up will give them safety depth, and he’ll likely play on the special teams as well.
Although Grant is listed as a safety, he’s likely able to serve as a true defensive back in New England, as depth is also needed at cornerback, too, with Christian Gonzalez (hamstring), Carlton Davis, and Charles Woods (knee) all managing lingering injuries this season.
Grant also fits the model of what Vrabel wants in his defensive backs with him being six-feet tall and 200 lbs.
It’s worth noting that Grant became a free agent this offseason after he lost the starting job in Atlanta to veteran Justin Simmons in 2024. The San Francisco 49ers signed Grant to a one-year contract in March of this year, but released him at the end of the preseason in late August.
The Patriots are hoping that Grant, a 27-year-old veteran, will add value to their defensive backfield this season.