FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots announced that they have signed QB Cody Kessler to the 53-man roster and TE Jason Vander Laan to the practice squad. Terms of the contracts were not announced.
Kessler, 26, originally entered the NFL as a third-round draft selection (93rd overall) by Cleveland in the 2016 NFL Draft out of Southern California. The 6-foot-1, 215-pounder has played in 17 regular-season games with 12 starts over his three-year career with Cleveland (2016-17) and Jacksonville (2018). Kessler has completed 224-of-349 pass attempts (64.2%) for 2,215 yards with eight touchdowns and five interceptions. Last season with the Jaguars, Kessler appeared in five games with four starts and completed 85-of-131 pass attempts (64.9%) for 709 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions while leading the Jaguars to a 2-2 record. He went to training camp with Philadelphia this past summer was and was released on Aug. 30, 2019.
Vander Laan, 27, originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with the New York Jets out of Ferris State on May 6, 2016. The 6-foot-3, 244-pounder spent part of his rookie season in 2016 on the Jets practice squad and was released prior to the start of the 2017 regular season. Vander Laan joined the Indianapolis Colts practice squad on Nov. 3, 2017, and signed with the Indianapolis 53-man roster on Nov. 25. He appeared in four games as a reserve and did not accrue any statistics. He joined the Carolina Panthers in the 2018 offseason and had stints on the Panthers practice squad and 53-man roster but did not appear in any games. He was released by the Panthers on Aug. 30, 2019.
