Sunday morning provided some relatively good news on banged-up Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore.
The second-year lineman has been out since suffering a knee injury in New England's Week 6 road win over the Cleveland Browns. There was optimism that Barmore would return for Sunday's game against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium, as he was a limited participant in the Patriots' first three practices this week. But Barmore didn't practice at all Friday and later was placed on injured reserve, meaning he'll miss at least the next four games.
It's been tough sledding for the 2021 second-round pick. However, ESPN's Adam Schefter on Sunday indicated Barmore didn't suffer a serious setback and should be able to play later this season.
"Patriots DT Christian Barmore has been battling knee inflammation for weeks before being placed on injured reserve Friday," Schefter tweeted. "Barmore does not need surgery, per source, just rest and rehab, and the team believes he should be able to return after four weeks."
Barmore had 15 tackles and just one sack before his knee injury. Last season, he racked up 46 tackles, 1 1/2 sacks and a plethora of quarterback pressures in what was a very impressive rookie campaign.
The chance of Barmore repeating that success now essentially is gone. But it sounds as if he still has a shot at making an impact down the road.
