Tight end has been one of the more intriguing position battles for Mike Vrabel and the New England Patriots early at NFL training camp this summer. But after Tuesday, the team has one fewer player at the position.
According to the NFL transaction wire, the Patriots waived tight end Jeremiah Franklin on Tuesday. The move came about 11 days after the team signed the undrafted tight end from Boston College.
The Patriots originally signed Franklin when the team placed wide receiver Jimmy Kibble on injured reserve on July 24.
“Franklin, 22, played in 41 games during his four seasons at Boston College (2022-25) and finished with 93 receptions for 1,010 yards and 6 touchdowns,” wrote Patriots.com. “The 6-foot-3, 245-pounder, started all 12 games as a senior in 2025 and recorded 49 receptions for 506 yards and 2 touchdowns.
“He is ranked fifth all-time among Boston College tight ends in receptions.”
Without Franklin, Mike Vrabel and the Patriots have six tight ends on the training camp roster. They are Hunter Henry, Eli Raridon, Tanner Arkin, CJ Dipper, Mitch Van Vooren and Jack Westover.
Patriots Release Jeremiah Franklin to Claim WR Tejhaun Palmer
On Tuesday, the Patriots adjusted their allotment of players at tight end and receiver. New England released Franklin to sign wide receiver Tejhaun Palmer.
The Patriots claimed Palmer off waivers from the Arizona Cardinals.
“Palmer enters as a long-shot roster candidate, but the move gives New England another receiver with outside size and a history of creating explosive plays,” wrote Heavy Sports’ Duncan Day.
“At 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, he offers a different physical profile than several of the smaller receivers fighting for work near the bottom of the depth chart.”
The Cardinals selected Palmer in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He’s played one game in his NFL career, which came last season. Palmer didn’t record a statistic while playing four offensive snaps and two snaps on special teams.
With Palmer on the roster, the Patriots have a big group of the receivers — 12 total. A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs, Kayshon Boutte, DeMario Douglas and Mack Hollins are the most obvious choices to already have roster spots. The other seven wideouts include Efton Chism III, Nick DeGennaro, Kyle Dixon, Cameron Dorner, Kobe Prentice and Kyle Williams to go with Palmer.
DeGennaro, Dixon, Dorner, and Prentice are all rookies.
Mike Vrabel’s Remaining Depth at Tight End
Losing Franklin hurts New England’s tight end depth. However, the team still has six players at that position.
Hunter Henry is back as the team’s top tight end. In the 2026 NFL Draft, the Patriots added tight end Eli Raridon early on Day 2. Raridon is likely to be Henry’s primary backup.
The other four — Tanner Arkin, CJ Dipper, Mitch Van Vooren and Jack Westover — are battling for the remaining depth spots at tight end.
Arkin is another intriguing rookie who has a chance to make the 53-man roster despite going undrafted. Arkin, though, is primarily a blocker who isn’t going to add much from a pass-catching standpoint.
Whether Arkin or a different tight end join Henry and Raridon on the roster to open the season depends on how the Patriots want to build out the unit.
NFL teams will have to cut their rosters down to 53 players by 6 pm ET on August 30. New England will have three preseason games to help the coaching staff make roster decisions.
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