Elijah Ponder
LB
#91
Experience: 2 years
Height: 6-3
Age: 23
Weight: 261 lbs
College: Cal Poly
2025 SEASON
- Solo14
- SCK4
- FF0
- INT--
Preseason
| WK | Game Date | OPP | RESULT | Total | Solo | AST | SCK | SFTY | PDEF | INT | YDS | AVG | LNG | TDS | FF | FR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 08/21/2025 | @Giants | L 10 - 42 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 2 | 08/16/2025 | @Vikings | W 20 - 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 1 | 08/08/2025 | Commanders | W 48 - 18 |
Regular Season
| WK | Game Date | OPP | RESULT | Total | Solo | AST | SCK | SFTY | PDEF | INT | YDS | AVG | LNG | TDS | FF | FR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | 01/04/2026 | Dolphins | W 38 - 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||||
| 17 | 12/28/2025 | @Jets | W 42 - 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 16 | 12/21/2025 | @Ravens | W 28 - 24 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 15 | 12/14/2025 | Bills | L 31 - 35 | |||||||||||||
| 13 | 12/01/2025 | Giants | W 33 - 15 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||||
| 12 | 11/23/2025 | @Bengals | W 26 - 20 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 11 | 11/13/2025 | Jets | W 27 - 14 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 10 | 11/09/2025 | @Buccaneers | W 28 - 23 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 9 | 11/02/2025 | Falcons | W 24 - 23 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 8 | 10/26/2025 | Browns | W 32 - 13 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 7 | 10/19/2025 | @Titans | W 31 - 13 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 6 | 10/12/2025 | @Saints | W 25 - 19 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 5 | 10/05/2025 | @Bills | W 23 - 20 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 4 | 09/28/2025 | Panthers | W 42 - 13 | |||||||||||||
| 3 | 09/21/2025 | Steelers | L 14 - 21 | |||||||||||||
| 2 | 09/14/2025 | @Dolphins | W 33 - 27 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 1 | 09/07/2025 | Raiders | L 13 - 20 |
Post Season
| WK | Game Date | OPP | RESULT | Total | Solo | AST | SCK | SFTY | PDEF | INT | YDS | AVG | LNG | TDS | FF | FR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 02/08/2026 | Seahawks | L 13 - 29 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 3 | 01/25/2026 | @Broncos | W 10 - 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||||
| 2 | 01/18/2026 | Texans | W 28 - 16 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 1 | 01/11/2026 | Chargers | W 16 - 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Biography
CAREER TRANSACTIONS
Elijah Ponder was signed by the New England Patriots as a rookie free agent on May 9, 2025.
SEASONAL REVIEWS
2025 (15/0, 3/0)
- Contributes mainly on punt and kickoff coverage, also rotating in as a pass rusher.
- One of three rookie free agents to make the opening day roster.
- Made his NFL debut vs. Las Vegas (9/7).
- Inactive vs. Pittsburgh (9/21) and vs. Carolina (9/28). Returned to action at Buffalo (10/5) after being inactive the previous two games, recording a tackle and a special teams tackle.
- Recorded his first career sack at Tampa Bay (11/9) when he dropped QB Baker Mayfield for a 5-yard loss in the fourth quarter.
- Logged his second-consecutive game with a sack vs. the N.Y. Jets (11/13) with a fourth-quarter sack on QB Justin Fields, making him the first Patriots rookie since DL Chase Winovich in 2019 to have a sack in back-to-back games.
- Recorded his third sack of the season vs. the N.Y. Giants (12/1) on QB Jaxson Dart in the fourth quarter. In doing so, he became only the second rookie free agent in Patriots history to record at least 3 sacks, joining Justin Francis (2012). He also recovered a fumbled kickoff forced by Marte Mapu in the second quarter.
- Logged his fourth sack of the year vs. Miami (1/4/26), taking down QB Quinn Ewers in the third quarter for a 3-yard sack on third-and-8, forcing a punt. He also recovered a fumble for the first time in his career in the second quarter after LB Jack Gibbens forced it on a 2-yard run from RB Jaylen Wright immediately after the Patriots turned the ball over on downs.
- Recovered a fumble forced by LB Christian Elliss on QB Jarrett Stidham at the Denver 12-yard line in the second quarter of the AFC Championship at Denver (1/25/26), setting up the team's game-tying touchdown.
COLLEGE
- In five seasons at Cal Poly (2020-24), played in 47 games and finished with 167 tackles, 261/2 sacks, 1 interception returned for a touchdown, 7 passes defensed, 3 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries and 2 blocked kicks.
- Led the Big Sky Conference in sacks (10) in 2023.
- Earned All-Conference First-Team Defense, FCS All-American Third Team Defense and Walter Camp FCS All-American honors in 2023.
- All-Big Sky honorable mention (2021, 2022) and All-Big Sky Conference fourth team (Phil Steele) in 2021.
PERSONAL
- As a senior, was named Most Valuable Lineman of the Mission League and earned first-team All-Mission League and second-team All-Los Angeles County .
- Majored in architectural engineering.