Running back Tyler Gaffney is returning to the New England Patriots, the team announced on Friday.
Retiring from the NFL in 2018, Gaffney took a break from football to play baseball. He played in 51 games for Class AA Altomma, a farm team in the Pittsburgh Pirates system. He retired from baseball in March 2019.
This is Gaffney’s second go-around with the Patriots. Even though he has never played a down of NFL football, he was on New England’s injured reserve list in 2014 and spent 2016 on practice squad.
Another professional baseball player headed to an NFL roster: The #Patriots are signing RB Tyler Gaffney, source said, who most recently spent time with the #49ers, #Jaguars and in the #Pirates farm system. First Tim Tebow on the Jags, now Gaffney back in the NFL on the Pats.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 20, 2021
Gaffney joins a crowded running back room that includes the likes of Damien Harris, James White, and Sony Michel.
