Bryan Stork reportedly is dealing with more than just a concussion.
The New England Patriots center also has been hampered by “a muscle-related issue in his neck,” a source told the Boston Herald’s Jeff Howe on Thursday.
The second-year pro was placed on short-term injured reserve Wednesday, one day before the Patriots’ regular-season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He is eligible to return to game action in Week 8.
“The Patriots medical team is trying to figure out the exact diagnosis,” Howe wrote Thursday, “but they believed Stork needed a few weeks to rest his neck to make the pain go away, which led to his placement on short-term IR. Still, the relative confusion about the issue, and whether the neck and the concussion are related, was enough for the Pats to shut down Stork for at least the first seven games of the regular season.”
Team captain Ryan Wendell is the most likely replacement for Stork at center, but Josh Kline and rookie David Andrews are options, too.
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
