FOXBORO, Mass. — Mac Jones officially is active for the New England Patriots Monday night matchup with the Chicago Bears. One of his starting offensive linemen is not.
Right tackle Isaiah Wynn will not play against Chicago after being listed as questionable with a shoulder injury. Veteran Marcus Cannon is the most likely candidate to replace him in the starting lineup.
Cannon has seen consistent playing time since returning to the Patriots early this season, both at right tackle and as a jumbo tight end. The struggling Wynn was benched in two of the Patriots’ last three games with Cannon replacing him.
With Wynn unavailable, starting right guard Mike Ownenu likely becomes the Patriots’ top backup tackle. New England’s O-line reserves Monday night (James Ferentz, Chasen Hines and elevated practice squadder Bill Murray) all are interior players.
Defensive tackle Christian Barmore (knee), wide receiver Kendrick Bourne (toe) and Josh Uche (hamstring) also are inactive after being listed as questionable. It’s the first DNP of the season for Barmore and Bourne, who suffered their injuries during last week’s win over the Cleveland Browns. Uche will miss his second consecutive game, with Jamie Collins elevated from this practice squad for additional linebacker depth.
Safety Joshuah Bledsoe, running back Kevin Harris and cornerback Shaun Wade are healthy scratches.
Though they’ll be without some big-name contributors, the Patriots also are getting several key players back from injury. Jones is the most notable member of that group. He reportedly will start against Chicago after missing the last three games with an ankle sprain, with rookie Bailey Zappe backing him up. Also returning Monday night: running back Damien Harris, defensive tackle Lawrence Guy, wide receiver Nelson Agholor and cornerback Jonathan Jones.
On the other side, wide receiver N’Keal Harry will make his Chicago debut against his former team. The Patriots traded Harry — their first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft — to the Bears this past summer after three disappointing seasons.
