Efton Chism III makes Patriots 53-man roster
Undrafted wide receiver Efton Chism III has made the New England Patriots. The preseason star is on the team's initial 53-man roster for the 2025 season, and could play a big role in the New England offense.
Chism has been nursing a foot injury since his big preseason game in Minnesota on Aug. 16, but did more than enough in practice and in his limited game action to secure a spot on the New England roster. We'll see if he returns to the practice field for the Patriots on Wednesday when the team resumes preparations for Week 1 against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Efton Chism III makes Patriots roster
Chism went undrafted in 2025 despite putting together an incredible career at Eastern Washington. The 5-foot-10 receiver caught 346 passes over his five years with the Eagles, and broke Cooper Kupp's school record for receptions in a single season with 120 catches for 1,311 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2024.
Chrism began to turn heads in New England during training camp, and carried it over to the preseason. He hauled in 12 receptions for 121 yards and two touchdowns over his two exhibition games, and really broke out in the team's 20-12 win over the Vikings in Minnesota in preseason game No. 2.
Chism led the Patriots with six receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings, including a 12-yard touchdown in the second quarter where he shed a number of tacklers on his way to the end zone. He had four receptions on the scoring drive and accounted for 62 of New England's 88 yards. Chrism proved to be a reliable option for Josh Dobbs that afternoon, as he caught three of his six passes on third down.
Chism will now have a chance to catch passes from Drake Maye in the regular season.
Javon Bakers makes Patriots roster too
Second-year receiver Javon Baker has also made the team and will have a chance to redeem himself after a disappointing rookie season. The 2024 fourth-round pick caught just one pass last season and spent most of his summer with backups and special teamers, but his new role as a special teams gunner likely saved him from the cutting line Tuesday.