The New England Patriots came out of their Thursday night loss to the Chicago Bears with the result they didn’t want, but they avoided what could have been a much bigger problem.
At 4-3 and out of the current AFC playoff picture, the Patriots are still dealing with a roster that has been battered by injuries all season. Even so, after rewatching the game, only two injuries stood out as noteworthy.
The first involved safety Kevin Byard III, who needed to be checked on early in the second quarter after appearing to hurt his left shoulder. He jogged off under his own power, went into the blue medical tent, and then returned after a short evaluation. Byard wound up missing only four snaps and finished the game with a 94% playing time share, without sitting out any further plays.
The other concern came late, when defensive tackle Christian Barmore produced a huge sack of Caleb Williams for a 10-yard loss in the fourth quarter. The play might have been a game-changing one, except Cairo Santos followed with a career-long field goal that essentially put the game away.
Barmore stayed down afterward after landing awkwardly on his right hand and needed medical attention. He got up and walked off the field, and with the Patriots not taking any more defensive snaps, he never had a chance to return.
Even with those two scares, the early read is that neither injury looks like a long-term issue. Byard came back into the game, and head coach Mike Vrabel said Monday that Barmore “he’ll be fine.” Both players being on the practice field Monday backed that up.
For New England, that’s a welcome development, especially with the team on a short week. The Patriots had been losing at least some starters or key reserves to injury in nearly every game this season, so getting through Thursday without adding a major new problem matters.
Now they turn toward Week 8 against the Miami Dolphins after a mini-bye, and the signs are more encouraging. No major injuries were added Thursday, and guard Ben Brown, who had been dealing with a knee issue, was also back on the practice fields Monday.
The first injury report of the week is due Wednesday afternoon. Kickoff against the Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium is set for 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday.
In Other News...
Patriots Punt Decision Says Plenty About Mike Vrabels 2026 Plan
The Patriots have settled one small but telling piece of their 2026 roster by releasing punter Bryce Baringer from injured reserve, a move that clears the way for Mitch Wishnowsky to take over as the teams main option. Mike Vrabel framed the decision as a straightforward one, saying the club wanted Baringer to have a chance to chase other opportunities while also thanking him for what he brought to New England.
Wishnowsky now looks like the steady choice in a job that often gets overlooked until field position starts swinging games. He brings the kind of NFL experience and consistency Vrabel clearly values, and this move fits the broader tone of a team trying to sharpen its special teams identity while giving an injured player room to land on his feet. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Just Got A Painful Reminder About Drake Mayes Missing Weapon
The Patriots have spent the better part of the last couple of drafts trying to clean up the damage from a 2024 class that mostly missed the mark, with Drake Maye standing out as the lone real success story. Their recent haul has looked better, but the roster still has obvious holes, especially on offense, where every promising addition is supposed to help give Maye a more stable foundation and keep the rebuild moving forward.
One of those reminders came in a hurry against a receiver the Patriots passed on, even as they were adding TreVeyon Henderson to the mix. Luther Burden III made New England pay in a big way in Week 7, which only sharpened the question of whether the Patriots addressed their biggest needs in the right order and whether one of the best playmakers available might have been the missing piece for Maye all along. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots May Be Winning The Kayshon Boutte Trade After All
The Patriots moved on from Kayshon Boutte before the season, sending the wideout to Houston in a deal that brought back Jaylen Reed and a 2028 seventh-round pick. In the months since, New England has watched its receiver room sort itself out in other ways, with contributions coming from players such as Efton Chism III and DeMario Douglas while the club keeps reshaping the bottom of the roster.
Bouttes early run with the Texans has not forced the Patriots to second-guess the decision, and the draft pick has already been put to use by New England in a separate move for Corey Kiner out of Arizona. For a team still trying to squeeze value from every asset, the trade is looking less like a simple swap and more like another example of patience paying off, even if the full return is still unfolding. [Read more 🡒]