Shane Vereen‘s breakout performance against the Bills on Sunday didn’t come without a cost.
Vereen broke a small bone in his wrist on his first play of the game on Sunday, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports. The third-year running back will need surgery to repair the injury and will miss a few weeks.
Vereen was forced into extended duty after fellow back Stevan Ridley‘s second fumble of the game on Sunday. He made the most of the opportunity, too, carrying the ball 14 times for 101 yards and catching seven passes for 58 yards on the afternoon. He was the only running back in the NFL to rush for more than 100 yards on Sunday.
In his absence, Ridley is likely to reassume his role as the team’s feature back. Veteran Leon Washington, who re-signed with the Patriots over the weekend but didn’t play on Sunday, would be his likely replacement in the flex and third-down back roles in the meantime. The Patriots also have second-year back Brandon Bolden and LeGarrette Blount on the depth chart at running back.
Have a question for Luke Hughes? Send it to him via Twitter at @LukeFHughes or send it here.
