Patriots announce signing of veteran tight end to futures deal

The New England Patriots announced they have signed tight end Giovanni Ricci to a futures contract on Monday.

Ricci began his NFL career in 2020 with the Carolina Panthers, after playing college football at Western Michigan. He spent his rookie year on the practice squad, but he did manage to make an impact for the Panthers.

He played in 36 games and started in four of them, hauling in nine receptions for 102 yards. His most recent stop was with the Cleveland Browns, but he was released before the start of the season due to a knee injury last August.

Ricci measures in at six-foot-five and 245 pounds. He could be an important depth piece for the Patriots as Austin Hooper is an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

He could also be a solid camp body to help push Jaheim Bell, who will be entering his second year with the team. The tight ends were one of the Patriots’ most productive units last season.

We’ll see if that remains the case in 2025 as well.