The New England Patriots are gearing up for their Week 12 contest with the Cincinnati Bengals after enjoying a mini bye week in the wake of their Thursday Night Football win over the New York Jets. Ahead of this game, the front office has engaged in its usual roster tinkering.

On Monday, the Patriots released rookie safety John Saunders Jr. Saunders found his way onto the team’s 53-man roster as a depth option behind the likes of Jaylinn Hawkins and Craig Woodson, but he did not end up taking the field for New England.

Given his familiarity with the team’s defense and the need for depth as injuries begin to pile up, it always seemed likely that Saunders would return to the team in some capacity. Sure enough, the team re-signed Saunders to its practice squad on Wednesday morning.

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