FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots announced today that T Thayer Munford Jr. has been signed to the 53-man roster from the Cleveland Browns practice squad. Munford was signed by New England to the practice squad on Aug. 29, 2025, before he was signed off the Patriots practice squad to the Cleveland 53-man roster.
In addition, CB Alex Austin has been placed on injured reserve, G Bill Murray has been signed to the practice squad and RB Jonathan Ward has been released from the practice squad.
Munford Jr., 26, originally entered the NFL as a seventh-round draft pick by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Ohio State. The 6-foot-6, 331-pounder, was released by Las Vegas on Aug. 27, 2025. He was released by Cleveland from the 53-man roster on Oct. 13, 2025, and signed to the practice squad on Oct. 15, 2025. Munford has played in 46 NFL games with 18 starts with 11 at right tackle, five at left tackle and two as a tackle-eligible tight end.
Murray, 28, was originally signed by New England as a rookie free agent out of William & Mary as a defensive lineman in 2020. The 6-foot-4, 315-pounder, spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons on the New England practice squad as a defensive lineman and then spent the 2022 season on the practice squad after converting to the offensive line. Murray was elevated to the active roster for three games during the 2022 season and made his NFL debut on an extra point play vs. Buffalo on Dec. 1. Murray spent the 2023 season on the Chicago Bears practice squad and made the Chicago 53-man roster in 2024, seeing action in three games before finishing the year on injured reserve. He was released by Chicago on Sept. 2, 2025.
Ward, 28, was signed by New England to the practice squad on Oct. 28, 2025, released on Nov. 4 and re-signed on Nov. 11. The 5-foot-11, 202-pounder, has spent time in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets, Tennessee Titans, Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Giants. He originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with Arizona out of Central Michigan in 2020. After being released by Arizona during the 2022 season, he spent time with the New York Jets on the practice squad and also with the Tennessee Titans. Ward was with Pittsburgh in 2024 and spent part of training camp this past summer with the New York Giants. Overall, he has played in 47 games and has 22 rushing attempts for 91 yards and 6 receptions for 52 yards with 1 touchdown.
