New England Patriots defensive tackle Vincent Valentine’s season might be over before it started.
The Patriots are placing Valentine, a 2016 third-round draft pick, on injured reserve, a source told ESPN’s Field Yates. The Patriots are signing defensive end Geneo Grissom off the practice squad to fill their 53-man roster, ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported.
Valentine didn’t practice before the Patriots’ Week 1 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. He practiced Thursday last week but didn’t participate Wednesday or Friday. He practiced Wednesday this week but didn’t participate Thursday.
Grissom was a 2015 third-round pick who split 2016 between the active roster and practice squad. He mostly contributed on special teams while on the 53-man roster last year.
The Patriots now have five players on injured reserve: Valentine, wide receiver Julian Edelman, cornerback Cyrus Jones, wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell and linebacker Shea McClellin.
The Patriots can activate two players off injured reserve after eight weeks. Edelman and Jones are out for the season with torn ACLs. Mitchell and McClellin have been spotted around the Patriots’ locker room since being placed on IR.
The Patriots have four defensive tackles remaining on their 53-man roster: Malcom Brown, Lawrence Guy, Alan Branch and Adam Butler.
Thumbnail photo via Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports Images
