Freshly Released Cardinals RB Finds New Home With Patriots

ARIZONA -- Recently released Arizona Cardinals running back D'Ernest Johnson appears to have found a new home.

According to multiple beat writers for the New England Patriots, Johnson has a locker with his name on it.

"The Patriots have a locker set up for RB D’Ernest Johnson. He was previously on the Cardinals’ practice squad," said Doug Kyed.

Mike Reiss also offered:

A locker is set up for RB D’Ernest Johnson here at Gillette Stadium. Time with the Browns, Jaguars, and Cardinals.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) October 29, 2025

Johnson didn't spend much time in Arizona, as he signed to the practice squad back on Sept. 29.

A few weeks ago, he was elevated to the active roster and appeared in one game for the Cardinals before being released this week.

"D'Ernest (Johnson) is doing a good job picking the system up. He's been in a similar system, so that's been cool to see," Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon previously said of Johnson.

"He's got a skill set. ... Picking things up, learning the offense, protections is a huge thing. Where they're putting the ball, timing of playing running back, fourth down as well. So just like all our guys that come here mid-year at whatever points of them we've had, they've got to assimilate into the building, understand how we operate here, and then show us what they can do on a practice field and get ready to go."

Johnson was a fill-in for a battered Cardinals running back room that lost James Conner and Trey Benson previously, and that could again be the case for Johnson as Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson wasn't spotted at practice today.

When it comes to the Cardinals, they're desperately trying to change course after a five-game losing streak welcomed them to their bye week.

“Closer to more details. If you look with a critical eye, where we're at and how we got to this point in my mind—I told the team that I was going to come in today and be like, ‘Hey, all these drastic things. This is what we're going to do to win games. It is not that. That is not the answer, in my opinion," Gannon said.

"When I watch how these games have kicked out and how we're at where we're at right now, it was some minor tweaks and coaching the details a little bit better. Playing a little bit better, finding our margins a little bit better, in-game decision making, play calling—it's a bunch of different things but there's nothing really drastic to me.

"If we didn't look like we looked with the same record, then you could think about making some big-time drastic changes, which I've been a part of that too. I don't think that was the answer for us moving forward, so I just want us to play a little bit better (and) coach a little bit better.”