Riley Reiff to Remain on Injured Reserve for the Rest of 2023

Riley Reiff’s time with the New England Patriots appears to have come to an end. After appearing in only one NFL game this season, Reiff’s season is officially over. The 21-day window to either be activated to the 53-man roster, or remain on IR for the rest of the season was closing, Reiff will not be activated.

New England signed the Riley Reiff to a one-year, $5 million contract in free agency this year. He was expected to become the starting right tackle for the Patriots. At the least, he was counted on to the primary backup along the offensive line. Earlier this season Bill Belichick was questioned about not addressing the offensive line enough in the offseason. Belichick pointed to the signing of Reiff as a way in which they had attempted to do so.

Reiff is currently in his twelfth NFL season. He previously played for the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Cincinnati Bengals, and Chicago Bears. Prior to joining the Patriots, Reiff had appeared in 167 NFL games (including playoffs) with 153 starts. There was some skepticism of the signing. Reiff had lost his starting job with the Bears last season, a team which finished with the worst record in the NFL

After struggling in camp, Reiff was moved from right tackle to right guard. He was injured in the final preseason game, and began the year on IR. Reiff retuned in Week 5 against the Saints, but was injured again and returned to the reserve/injured list.

Barring a return to the New England Patriots in 2024, Riley Reiff’s stint with the franchise ultimately ended up consisting of 46 snaps.

Update: Miguel Benzan (@PatsCap) reports that the New England Patriots will receive a $705,882 credit toward their 2024 salary cap due to Riley Reiff not earring LTBE bonuses.

The Patriots will receive a $705,882 credit on their 2024 cap because of Riley Reiff's sixteen unearned LTBE (Likely to be Earned) active roster bonuses.

— Miguel Benzan Patriots Cap Space is 1,650,016 (@patscap) December 6, 2023