Christian Barmore Suffers Leg Injury, But Early X-Ray Results Present Promising Picture
BOSTON (CBS) -- As if Sunday's loss in Miami wasn't bad enough for the Patriots, and as if Tua Tagovailoa's 11-yard scramble wasn't painful on its own, the play that allowed Miami to drain all but three seconds off the game clock also resulted in a potentially serious injury for Patriots rookie Christian Barmore.
Barmore was in pursuit of his former Alabama teammate as Tagovailoa juked past Joejuan Williams to pick up a critical first down. Williams went for the tackle but whiffed, accidentally colliding with a diving Barmore.
FIRST. ????
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) January 10, 2022
DOWN. ????
????: Watch #NEvsMIA on @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/Cx1PSe21nb
While Tagovailoa celebrated the play, Barmore remained down on the turf, eventually drawing the attention from the Patriots' training staff.
After Barmore made his way to the sideline, he was taken to the locker room on a cart.
Barmore, who recorded five total tackles in Sunday's loss, has been a big part of New England's defense as a rookie, with 46 tackles, nine QB hits and 1.5 sacks.
The specifics of the injury were not announced, and Bill Belichick did not provide an update after the game. ESPN's Mike Reiss said on "Patriots 5th Quarter" on TV38 that the injury appears to be significant enough to keep Barmore out of the postseason. Reiss added that Barmore was emotional while exiting the X-ray room at Hard Rock Stadium and could not put pressure on his right leg.
However, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said that initial X-rays and exams found "no major injury." A Monday MRI will ultimately provide a clearer picture, though.
#Patriots standout DT Christian Barmore, who was carted off today, will have an MRI on his knee tomorrow, source said. The initial exams were promising, indicating no major injury. As we've seen, the MRI could tell a different story, but at first glance there is some good news.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 10, 2022
In the meantime, quarterback Mac Jones said he's hoping for the best.
"Yeah I did, I saw him. I'm not sure exactly what happened but I just told him that I love him and I have his back no matter what," Jones said. "He's a great player and he's been a great teammate at Alabama and obviously here, too. He's really positive and I hope he's OK."