The New England Patriots might be getting a key piece of the defense back.
Prior to the start of the season, defensive tackle Christian Barmore was diagnosed with blood clots, sidelining him for the indefinite future.
However, on Monday, after the New England Patriots’ overtime loss to the Tennessee Titans, head coach Jerod Mayo gave fans some hope going forward.
He was asked if there is still a chance Barmore could be back practicing with the team this year.
“We’re getting close,” is all the head coach said.
But it was enough.
Coming into the 2024 season, Barmore was coming off the best year of his career, and the team rewarded him with a four-year deal worth a maximum value of $92 million. More specifically, It’s worth $41.8 million in guarantees.
He truly showed what he was capable during the 2023 season, specifically in the Patriots’ Christmas Eve win over the Denver Broncos. He recorded three sacks and two tackles for loss in the victory.
The defensive tackle finished the season with 64 total tackles, 8.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and six passes defended.
Barmore was present for the first day of training camp, but wasn’t able to make it through the entire practice. The team later released a statement saying that he was diagnosed with blood clots.
Captain David Andrews was diagnosed with blood clots in his lungs back in 2019, which resulted in him missing the entire season.
But despite being sidelined, Barmore has been at the facility often. He is interacting with his team and it is clear he is doing everything he can to return as soon as possible.
So hopefully the Patriots get this key piece of the defense back soon.
