FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots announced today the signing of first-year DT Isaiah Iton and rookie free agents G Mehki Butler out of Arkansas State and DT Wilfried Pene (pronounced – will-uh-fred PEN-aye) out of Virginia Tech.
In addition, the Patriots released rookie free agent T Cole Birdow.
Iton, 23, originally signed with the Tennessee Titans as a rookie free agent out of Rutgers on May 10, 2024. The 6-foot-2, 277-pounder, was released by Tennessee and spent the season on the practice squad. He signed a futures contract with the team after the season but was released on April 16, 2025.