The latest NFL rumors indicate that the New England Patriots had a few injured players missing from their latest practice session who may miss significant time. As the Patriots prepare to finish up their schedule, at least one of the two roster members may be done for the rest of the season and postseason. There’s a possibility both could be out of action into the playoffs, though. Here’s the latest on which players missed practice and how long each is expected to be sidelined for.
According to NESN’s Zack Cox, the latest practice for the New England Patriots took place on Wednesday outside of their home stadium. Missing from the session were running back Rex Burkhead and defensive tackle Alan Branch. It was reported that Burkhead was hurt in New England’s win this past Sunday over the Pittsburgh Steelers, suffering a knee injury. That could put him out of action for the rest of the NFL’s regular season and possibly longer than that.
As far as defensive tackle Alan Branch’s condition, he reportedly hurt his knee in the team’s loss to the Miami Dolphins. He was not part of the game against the Steelers and is said to have a “meniscus issue” that could keep him out of action for “a few weeks.” As it stands, a few weeks is really all the team has left in terms of the regular season, so they’ll hope Branch can return to help out during the NFL playoffs. The Pats may find themselves with extra time for the players to return, based on their schedule and record.
Rex Burkhead and Alan Branch both were absent from Patriots practice today. https://t.co/mxwg8LkSbV pic.twitter.com/vMDfgNT5mL
— Zack Cox (@ZackCoxNESN) December 20, 2017
Remaining on the New England Patriots’ schedule for the NFL regular season are two home games. First up, the Pats will go against the Buffalo Bills on Christmas Eve, and then they’ll host the New York Jets on New Year’s Eve to wrap up the season. After defeating Pittsburgh this past weekend, the team is 11-3 and would win a tie-breaker for the best record in the AFC. Holding the top seed in the AFC Playoffs would give them a few weeks off during the playoffs and give time for Branch and/or Burkhead to possibly recover.
