FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots announced today that they have signed LB Jose Ramirez to the 53-man roster from the practice squad and placed S Dell Pettus on injured reserve. In addition, the Patriots signed LB Benton Whitley to the practice squad.
Ramirez, 27, was signed by New England to the practice squad on Sept. 1, 2026. The 6-foot-2, 252-pounder, originally entered the NFL as a sixth-round draft pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2023 NFL Draft out Eastern Michigan. He spent his rookie season on the Tampa Bay practice squad. Ramirez made the Tampa Bay 53-man roster in 2024 and played in four games on defense and on special teams. After being released at the end of training camp in 2025, he played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League. He signed with Philadelphia to a futures contract on Jan. 15, 2026 but was released on Aug. 30, 2026.
Whitley, 27, originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with the L.A. Rams out of Holy Cross in 2022. The 6-foot-3, 255-pounder, has spent time on the practice squad and 53-man rosters of the L.A. Rams (2022), Kansas City Chiefs (2022), Minnesota Vikings (2022-23), New York Giants (2023-24), Arizona Cardinals (2024) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2025). Whitley, a native of Springfield, Ma., went to training camp this past summer with the Cleveland Browns but was waived on Aug. 26, 2026. Overall, he has played in six NFL games and has 1 fumble recovery and 1 pass defensed.
