As early-season injuries continue to pile up for the New England Patriots, former UConn football standout Eric Watts got an NFL opportunity Tuesday.
Watts, who played four seasons at UConn on the defensive line, completed a free-agent tryout with the Patriots alongside former Duke player Victor Dimukeje. Ahead of Sunday’s game against Jacksonville, the Patriots elevated DT Jeremiah Pharms Jr. from the practice squad.
Watts was not selected in the 2024 NFL Draft and signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent that offseason. He surprisingly made the 53-man roster and appeared in 14 games during the 2024 season, which began under Robert Saleh and continued under interim coach Jeff Ulbrich. The 25-year-old was waived before the start of last season, then re-signed to the practice squad. He was elevated for one game in November and signed to the active roster in December, appearing in four games during the 2025 season.
The 6-foot-5, 277-pound edge rusher was waived once again before the 2026 season, this time after suffering an undisclosed injury during training camp. The Jets placed him on injured reserve, where he was set to miss the season, before the two sides reached an injury settlement in mid-August. Watts was able to complete Tuesday’s workout for the Patriots just six weeks later.
A product of South Carolina, Watts committed to UConn ahead of the 2019 season and saw extended early action as a freshman, appearing in all 12 games while logging 30 tackles. His most productive season in Storrs came as a junior and coincided with the arrival of coach Jim Mora Jr. Watts logged seven sacks and 49 combined tackles as UConn reached its first bowl game in seven years.