FOXBORO, Mass. — The New England Patriots lost one of their high-priced tight ends to injury last Sunday.
One week later, they lost another.
Marquee free agent addition Jonnu Smith suffered an apparent ankle injury early in Sunday’s training camp practice after getting tangled with safety Devin McCourty during a non-competitive 1-on-1 drill.
Smith limped to the sideline, where he was examined by Patriots head trainer Jim Whalen and other members of the training staff. The trainers, who removed Smith’s left shoe, then walked him into the medical shed behind the practice field.
Roughly 10 minutes later, Smith left the practice area and headed toward the locker room.
Smith played 12 offensive snaps in Thursday’s preseason-opening 22-13 win over the Washington Football Team, finishing with one catch on two targets for 16 yards. He also was flagged for holding.
Smith’s injury came shortly after fellow tight end Hunter Henry made his return to the field. Henry missed all of this past week — including Thursday’s game — with a shoulder injury he suffered last Sunday.
Henry’s presence at New England’s latest practice was a positive development for the former Los Angeles Chargers standout, but he remained limited, leaving the field after warmups and sitting out competitive team drills.
It remains to be seen whether Henry or Smith — expected to be major contributors in the Patriots’ new-look offense — will be able to participate in joint practices with the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday and Tuesday. The Patriots will travel to Philly for those on Sunday afternoon.
With both top options unavailable and David Wells reportedly getting cut, the Patriots operated with just three tight ends Sunday: Matt LaCosse, Devin Asiasi and Troy Fumagalli. The veteran LaCosse occupied the top spot on the depth chart and caught passes from all three Patriots quarterbacks, though he also dropped a would-be touchdown pass from Cam Newton.
Second-year pro Devin Asiasi missed the first nine days of training camp after testing positive for COVID-19. He played 12 snaps to LaCosse’s 32 against Washington. Fumagalli played 11 snaps on Thursday and was not targeted in competitive team drills Sunday.
UPDATE (1:30 p.m. ET): ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported Smith’s injury is a low left ankle sprain that is not considered serious.
