FOXBORO, Mass. — The New England Patriots will be without two key members of their special teams unit for Thursday night’s regular-season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Matthew Slater will be out of action due to a hamstring injury. The nine-year NFL veteran has been limited by the ailment since the early stages of training camp and officially was listed as questionable leading up to the game. Nate Ebner also will be inactive for New England.
As for the rest of the Patriots’ inactives, offensive linemen Cameron Fleming and Cole Croston, tight end Jacob Hollister, linebacker Harvey Langi and defensive lineman Vincent Valentine all will be sidelined for the Week 1 showdown.
Not featured on the inactive list are newcomers Marquis Flowers, Jonathan Bademosi, Cassius Marsh and Phillip Dorsett, all of whom will be making their Patriots debut Thursday night.
Flowers was acquired via a trade with the Cincinnati Bengals on Aug. 29, but did not suit up for New England’s preseason finale against the New York Giants. Bademosi, Marsh and Dorsett all were acquired in separate deals Saturday amid the team’s roster cutdown.
Dorsett, who was acquired from the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for quarterback Jacoby Brissett, could see an increased workload in the wake of Malcolm Mitchell’s placement on the injured reserve list. The second-year wideout, who has been hobbled by a knee injury, will sit out at least the first eight weeks of the season before being eligible for activation in Week 9.
For the Chiefs, defensive lineman Jarvis Jenkins, offensive lineman Parker Ehinger, linebacker Reggie Ragland, cornerback D.J. White and quarterback Tyler Bray all will be inactive Thursday night.
Thumbnail photo via Isaiah J. Downing/USA TODAY Sports Images
