Patriots catch WR with sub-4.4 speed, put rookie on IR after ‘scary incident’

The New England Patriots benched a young receiver and signed another from the waiver list.

On Tuesday, the team announced it had claimed wide receiver Matt Landers off waivers. The move came after New England placed rookie receiver JaQuae Jackson on the injured list following a knee injury he suffered in the second preseason game that Patriots coach Jerod Mayo called a “scary incident on the field.”

Landers joins the Patriots after being released by the Cleveland Browns. The 6'4″ and 200-pound Landers has an intriguing blend of size and speed. At the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.37 seconds. He is considered an outstanding athlete who is still inexperienced as a receiver.

Landers is in his second season as a professional. The former Arkansas receiver entered the NFL last season as an undrafted free agent and spent time on the Seahawks and Panthers practice squads.

Earlier this year, Landers played for two UFL teams but was released before appearing in a game. He signed with the Browns in May before being released on August 19.

As for Jackson, the Patriots lost the rookie receiver after he was carted off the field in last week's preseason loss to the Eagles. Jackson, who was a D-II star before transferring to Rutgers, had a solid training camp.

After catching a touchdown in the Patriots' season opener, Jackson fell to the ground in pain after a missed throw against the Eagles.

He remained on the field for an extended period of time, with much of the Patriots bench standing by him as he was carried off the field. Since he was placed on the injured list prior to roster cuts, Jackson's 2024 season is now over.