FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — As the New England Patriots continue to enjoy their 31-13 win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 7, they have added some much-needed depth to their defensive front.
The Pats, according to the NFL transaction wire, have claimed linebacker Caleb Murphy. The four-year veteran was released by the Los Angeles Chargers on October 18.
Murphy initially joined the NFL as an undrafted rookie free agent, signing with the Tennessee Titans in April 2023. The 6’3″, 254-pound linebacker played in his first three professional games under then-Titans – and current Patriots – head coach Mike Vrabel, during the 2023 season. He played in two games in 2024, before to be waived by the club on October 26.
Just four days after his release, Murphy was signed to the Los Angeles Chargers practice squad. Once elevated to the 53-man roster, he played in three games for the Bolts in 2024. Based on his performance, he was signed to a reserve/future contract in January 2025. Murphy appeared in six games this season, before being waived by the Chargers.
During his three-year career, Murphy compiled 17 total tackles and one quarterback hit. In total, he lined up on 226 snaps on defense and 335 on special teams.
Murphy has potential
Although Murphy’s professional career got off to a slow start statistically, his college resume is quite impressive. As a senior at Ferris State in 2022, Murphy set the NCAA single-season record with 25.5 sacks and also tied the NCAA record with 39 tackles for loss as Ferris State repeated as national champions. At the end of the season, Murphy became the first non-FBS player to win the Ted Hendrick Award as the nation’s best defensive end. He was also named GLIAC Player of the Year and won the Gene Upshaw Award as the top lineman in NCAA Division II and the Cliff Harris Award as the nation’s top small college defensive player.
Based on his waiver claim, Murphy will join the Patriots’ 53-man active roster. As such, he occupies their final open active roster spot. He will join linebackers Harold Landry III, Keion White, Robert Spillane, Marte Mapu, Christian Elliss, Jahlani Tavai, K’Lavon Chaisson, Anfernee Jennings and Elijah Ponder on the depth chart.
Jennings, who missed the last two weeks with an ankle injury, has been the subject of trade rumors recently. Whether Murphy’s arrival could be a precursor to an impending change to the team involving the veteran linebacker is still a matter of conjecture.
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