Offensive lineman Jerald Hawkins worked out for the Patriots this week and he’ll be sticking around New England for a while.
Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports that Hawkins is signing with the team. There’s no word on any corresponding move.
Hawkins was a Steelers fourth-round pick in 2017 and started one of the five games he played as a rookie. He spent 2018 on injured reserve, played one game with Tampa after a 2019 trade and then wound up back in Pittsburgh last year. Hawkins appeared in 13 games during his second stint with the AFC North team.
Hawkins’ previous playing time came at tackle, so he’ll likely compete for a role behind Isaiah Wynn and Trent Brown with the Patriots.