Patriots sign Jeremiah Pharms Jr. to 53-man roster, elevate Conor McDermott

Patriots

Pharms was left off the practice squad for three consecutive weeks in October.

Jeremiah Pharms impressed enough to earn a full-time roster spot. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

After weeks of practice selection, the Patriots are opening up a spot on their 53-man roster for defensive lineman Jeremiah Pharms Jr.

Pharms earned three straight wins and recorded a tackle against the New Orleans Saints in October. He was previously drafted into the USFL and has been on New England’s practice squad since September 4.

The Patriots made another roster move on Saturday, promoting Conor McDermott from the practice squad. This is his second straight game elevated since signing with New England on October 17.

McDermott spent the offseason with the Patriots but was placed on injured reserve before being fully released. He has yet to get a shot for New England this season, but that could change on Sunday. Two offensive tackles, Trent Brown and Vederian Lowe, are questionable to play against the Washington Commanders. Additionally, tackle Calvin Anderson was recently placed on IR, making McDermott an even more valuable depth piece for the injury-plagued offensive line.

McDermott has a lot of NFL experience. He is in his seventh season and has played 49 games, including 12 as a starter. McDermott also has experience in both defense and tackling, so he can fill most spots on the offensive line in a pinch.

Game time for Patriots-Commanders is Sunday at 1:00 PM Eastern Time.