There were no surprises among the New England Patriots’ seven inactive players for Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Miami Dolphins.
The team announced before the game that running back D.J. Foster, tackle LaAdrian Waddle, cornerback Cyrus Jones, safety Jordan Richards, quarterback Jacoby Brissett and wide receivers Danny Amendola and Malcolm Mitchell would not play.
Jones, Amendola and Michell already had been ruled out due to injury, and the other four players on that list are reserves. Linebacker Dont’a Hightower and special teamer Matthew Slater both were active after sitting out last weekend’s win over the New York Jets.
That means the Patriots will not be resting any of their starters for the Week 17 matchup. New England already has clinched a first-round playoff bye but can secure home-field advantage with a win or an Oakland Raiders loss.
It will be interesting to see how deep into the game some of those starters play, however, especially considering the poor field conditions at Hard Rock Stadium. The stadium hosted the Orange Bowl on Friday night, and the playing surface has yet to recover, according to reporters on the scene in South Florida.
Thumbnail photo via Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports ImagesÂ
