Meet the Newest New England Patriot: Alex Erickson

Alex Erickson signed with the New England Patriots on Wednesday. New England had an opening on their 53-man roster, but Erickson will fill the opening on their practice squad, which is full once again. Erickson offers some depth at wide receiver following last week’s release of K.J. Osborn.

Get to know the newest member of the New England Patriots:

Meet Alex Erickson

Unlike many players signed to the Patriots practice squad this season, Erickson has significant NFL experience. He played collegiately for the Wisconsin Badgers. Erickson signed with the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent after going unselected in the 2016 NFL Draft. Despite being a UDFA, Erickson found a home in Cincinnati.

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Alex Erickson played five seasons for the Bengals. He never missed a game, playing in all 80 during that span. He served as Cincinnati’s primary punt returner and kickoff returner during that time. He led the NFL in kickoff return yardage as a rookie, with a long of 84 yards.

Erickson contributed to the passing game as well. His most productive season as a wide receiver was in 2019 when he caught 43 passes for 529 yards. Over his five seasons in Cincinnati, he caught 93 passes for 1,086 yards and a touchdown.

After his time with the Bengals, Erickson had one-year stints with the Carolina Panthers (17 games in 2021), Washington Commanders (two games in 2022), and Los Angeles Chargers (eight games in 2023). He finished last season with 16 receptions for 232 yards and a touchdown.

Alex Erickson joins wide receivers John Jiles and Braylon Sanders on the New England Patriots practice squad. However, if he is going to see playing time this season, his contribution in the return game could get him on the field. Kickoff returner JaMycal Hasty and punt returner Marcus Jones are both nursing injuries for New England.