Ronnie Perkins did not play a snap as a New England Patriots rookie. He won't as an NFL sophomore, either.
The Patriots placed Perkins, their third-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, on injured reserve ahead of Tuesday's 80-man roster cutdown deadline. Per NFL rules, because the outside linebacker was moved to IR before the Patriots' 53-man roster was finalized, he will be ineligible to return until next season.
New England also placed rookie offensive lineman Andrew Stueber on the reserve/non-football injury list. Stueber, a 2022 seventh-rounder who has yet to participate in his first NFL practice, must sit out at least four games.
Perkins spent nearly of last season on the Patriots' 53-man roster but did not dress for a single game. Despite his draft status, the Oklahoma product was viewed as a roster-bubble player entering this Friday's preseason finale against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Perkins played 17 snaps on defense and eight on special teams in last Friday's win over the Carolina Panthers, tallying one sack. He did not participate in Monday's practice at the Raiders' facility or Tuesday's joint practice.
The Patriots must finalize their initial 53-man roster by 4 p.m. ET next Tuesday.
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