Despite some cynics waiting for Efton Chism III to turn into another preseason pumpkin before the clock struck 4 p.m. on cut day, the undrafted free agent survived to make the 53-man roster.
First with the news was Ben Belford-Peltzman of "The Patriots Beat" on X.com, with Mark Daniels of MassLive reporting the news as well. Both Belford-Peltzman and Daniels added that linebacker Elijah Ponder was also informed that he will be making the team.
Chism signed with the Patriots for a record-breaking $259,000 guaranteed within a three-year, $2.99 million contract. His hands were impressively consistent throughout organized team activities, but he had a quieter showing through minicamp and the first couple weeks of training camp.
The 5 '10 receiver gained momentum in the first preseason game against the Washington Commanders and tallied a total of 12 catches for 121 yards and two touchdowns in two preseason games. A foot injury kept him out of the final August matchup against the New York Giants, as well as the last week of practice, but it appeared that Chism had already won a coveted spot within a crowded room of wideouts in Foxboro.
He hails from Eastern Washington University, an FCS team that plays in the Big Sky Conference. He broke fellow alumni Cooper Kupp’s school record for receptions in a season in 2024 and set an FCS record for consecutive games with a reception (53).
WEEI spoke with Chism’s high school coach and mentor, former Seattle Seahawks receiver Michael Bumpus, before the start of training camp.
“[He’s] the hardest working kid I've ever coached. And I've coached for 14 years at my facility. We have at least 100, 120 athletes come through a year that play football. He just works his butt off, man,” Bumpus said, in June.
Chism continues a history of undrafted free agent receivers who’ve made the Patriots’ 53-man roster. Danny Amendola signed with Dallas Cowboys as an UDFA and spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles before graduating to in-season game action with the Rams, then located in St. Louis, before signing with the Patriots. Jakobi Meyers also signed with New England as an UDFA in 2019 and saw immediate game action as a rookie in Week 1.
Stay locked in to WEEI and WEEI.com for all the latest on the Patriots' 53-man roster, and make sure to check out our cutdown day tracker for a full breakdown.