Pats Pulpit
The first injury report heading into Week 17 at Gillette Stadium.
The New England Patriots turned the page to the Los Angeles Chargers without three starters.
Center Ben Brown has entered the NFL’s concussion protocol, while cornerback Marcus Jones and safety Kyle Dugger also missed the Christmas Eve practice inside Gillette Stadium.
Here’s the first injury report heading into Saturday’s 1 p.m. ET kickoff there.
Since arriving off the practice squad of the Las Vegas Raiders, Brown has started all 10 games and stayed in for all 667 offensive snaps. On a shorter week, his absence potentially puts the center position in the hands of the organization’s top selection from the 2022 NFL draft. The secondary also remained shorthanded in Foxborough on Tuesday. Jones has now been sidelined for four consecutive practices due to a hip injury, while Dugger’s ankle injury is now accompanied by a quad injury. The defensive captain handled every down during what became a 24-21 loss to the AFC Champion Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium.
Two rookies continue to reside on injured reserve for the Patriots. Both, however, were among the limited participants to begin Chargers prep. At linebacker, Jacobs saw his 21-day practice window open after being sidelined by a concussion in November. And at offensive tackle, Wallace still awaits his return to the 53-man roster following a September ankle injury. As for Strange, in his first game back since sustaining a torn patellar tendon in 2023, he played three snaps on special teams. The 27-game starter at left guard is factoring in at the pivot spot now.
The Patriots promoted rookie running back Terrell Jennings from the practice squad after ruling out Hasty on the final injury report of last week. The veteran, whose campaign includes 30 offensive touches and 10 kickoff returns, had been a non-participant for three practices because of an ankle issue. He returned in a full capacity on Tuesday.
