The New England Patriots announced the signing of free-agent wide receiver Cameron Meredith on Friday, who was immediately placed on the Physically Unable To Perform list, per Pro Football Talk.
The Patriots have no designs of rushing Meredith back to the field, content to increase the strength and flexibility in his knee through rehabilitation with trainers until he's healthy enough to play, according to Michael Giardi of NFL Network.
Meredith went undrafted in 2015 after playing five seasons at mid-major Illinois State. After redshirting as a freshman, he played backup quarterback for the Redbirds in 2011 and 2012, appearing in only three games. He changed positions to wide receiver in the 2013 offseason, and a year later led Illinois State with 66 catches for 1,041 yards and 12 touchdowns. Without any remaining eligibility, he declared for the 2015 NFL Draft but was not invited to the scouting combine, instead raising eyebrows while participating at the Northwestern University Pro Day.
The Chicago Bears signed Meredith shortly after the draft. Following an impressive offseason in which he was the talk of team die-hards, Meredith made the active roster out of training camp. He went on to play in 11 games as a rookie, finishing the season with 11 catches for 120 yards. The flashes he showed during his debut campaign were far more frequent the following season, when Meredith had 66 catches for 888 yards and four touchdowns.
The 26-year-old suffered a devastating knee injury during exhibition play leading up to 2017, though, causing him to miss the season's entirety. The New Orleans Saints gave Meredith a two-year contract in April 2018, and played in the first six games of last season before being placed on injured reserve. The Saints released him earlier this week.
