Patriots Add Two Players for Super Bowl Showdown vs. Seahawks

The New England Patriots have elevated a pair of key role players for their matchup against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX.

Sep 9, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; New York Jets defensive tackle Leonard Taylor III (96) before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

As the New England Patriots make their final preparations for a clash with the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif, they are making some adjustments to their roster. 

The Pats have officially announced that running back D’Ernest Johnson and defensive end Leonard Taylor III have been elevated to the active roster from the practice squad for the third straight week. It will be the seventh game for Taylor and 11th for Johnson this season in New England.

Taylor was elevated for three games during the regular season and for the first two postseason games. The 23-year-old finished with nine total tackles in the regular season. He also played as a reserve in three postseason games but did not register any tackles. Still, Taylor has made an impact on the Pats’ defensive front in recent weeks, ranking among the NFL’s top qualified interior lineman in both pressure and pass-rush win rate since Week 17.

Though he was signed by New England to the practice squad in Oct. 2025, Taylor originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with the New York Jets out of Miami (Fla.) in 2024. The 6-foot-3, 305-pounder, has played in 19 NFL games and has 35 total tackles, 1.5 sacks and two passes defensed. He was released by the Jets on Oct. 14, after seeing action in two games in 2025. 

Jul 24, 2024; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back D’Ernest Johnson (2) participates in training camp at Miller Electric Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Johnson has spent time on the practice squad and the 53-man roster during the regular season, seeing action in seven games and accumulating 13 rushing attempts for 25 yards and five kickoff returns for 128 yards. He saw action in the Wild Card game against the L.A. Chargers (Jan. 11) before being released on Jan. 12 and then signed to the practice squad on Jan. 13. Johnson was also elevated for New England’s divisional round win over the Houston Texans and their AFC championship game victory over the Denver Broncos. He has yet to resigster any statistics on offense. Johnson has, however, returned four kicks for 106 yards on special teams.

In his seventh NFL season — after spending time with the Cleveland Browns (2019-22), Jacksonville Jaguars (2023-24), Baltimore Ravens (2025) and the Arizona Cardinals (2025) — the 5-foot-11, 205-pounder, originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with Cleveland out of South Florida in 2019. Johnson played with the Browns through the 2022 season. The 29-year-old then signed with Jacksonville as an unrestricted free agent in 2023 and then with the Baltimore Ravens in 2025. Johnson spent time on the Ravens and Cardinals practice squads earlier this season. 

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