Patriots O-Line Coach Adrian Klemm To Miss Time With Medical Issue

FOXBORO, Mass. — The New England Patriots will be shorthanded on the coaching staff as they travel to Germany this week.

Head coach Bill Belichick announced Wednesday that offensive line coach Adrian Klemm is “going to be out for a little while” as he deals with an undisclosed medical issue.

Belichick confirmed Klemm’s absence is “health”-related but would not share details.

“I’m not going to comment on somebody’s personal medical status,” he said.

Klemm, a former Patriots offensive lineman, is in his first season as New England’s O-line coach. He spent last season at Oregon and previously coached lineman with the Pittsburgh Steelers and at UCLA and SMU.

Klemm was the only Patriots position coach who did not speak with reporters on Tuesday.

Asked whether assistant O-line coach Billy Yates would take the lead in Klemm’s absence, Belichick replied: “Yeah, we’ll work through it on the offensive staff. Yeah. Billy will of course be a part of that.”

Yates played for the Patriots from 2004-08 and served in the same role under Matt Patricia last season. The 43-year-old also worked on New England’s staff in 2015 as part of the Bill Walsh Coaching Fellowship.

The Patriots are scheduled to practice in Foxboro on Wednesday and Thursday before flying to Frankfurt, Germany, where they’ll face the Indianapolis Colts this Sunday.