Patriots sign former Lions running back Craig Reynolds to practice squad

The New England Patriots added a veteran to the ground game entering the weekend.

The organization announced the signing of running back Craig Reynolds to the practice squad on Friday, as Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 reported.

Reynolds, 29, spent the past five years with the Detroit Lions and became a free agent after clearing waivers on Thanksgiving. Now 60 NFL games in, the 5-foot-11, 216-pound back has handled 469 snaps on offense and 785 snaps on special teams. He stands with 658 rushing yards, 258 receiving yards and one touchdown across 179 touches from scrimmage in the regular season.

His career also features 14 tackles, a 25.4-yard kickoff return average and an additional visit to the end zone in the postseason.

Breaking into the league as a rookie minicamp tryout in 2019, Reynolds made his initial stops with the Washington Commanders, Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars. From 2021 on, the undrafted Kutztown product climbed from the practice squad to the 53-man roster under head coach Dan Campbell’s staff. He twice served as a starter in the NFC North and once eclipsed the century mark in rushing.

The Patriots released rookie running back Rushawn Baker from the practice squad in a corresponding move.

Baker, 22, signed in Foxborough at the end of October following a workout. The 5-foot-11, 218-pound undrafted free agent spent training camp with the New York Giants and reached an injury settlement after reverting to injured reserve.

Starting his collegiate career at Bucknell, Baker transferred to Elon in 2024. His lone campaign with the Phoenix gave way to a team-high 859 rushing yards and nine touchdowns over the course of 183 carries.

Rhamondre Stevenson, TreVeyon Henderson and Terrell Jennings reside on the active roster for New England. The backfield depth chart also includes D’Ernest Johnson, a three-time standard elevation, on the practice squad.