New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick had an encouraging update on defensive tackle Christian Barmore as the latter tries to recover from an injury.
Barmore has not played since Week 6 against the Cleveland Browns. He was placed on injured reserve two days before the Patriots took on the New York Jets in Week 11 due to him needing time to reduce swelling in his knee, according to NFL Network’s Mike Giardi.
He appears to be eligible to practice after New England’s game against the Cardinals next Monday. So he could potentially travel with the team to Arizona, as the Patriots complete a mini-West Coast road trip that includes a stop to visit the Las Vegas Raiders. This has led to speculation as to whether Barmore could be ready in time for the reunion with the Patriots’ old friend, Josh McDaniels.
This season has certainly been a bit of a setback for the defensive tackle, after he recorded 46 tackles and 1.5 sacks last season. He put himself in a position to be a key piece on New England’s defensive line.
Belichick was able to give a health update on Barmore, as transcribed by Dakota Randall of NESN.com.
“We won’t make any decision until it’s time to make that decision, but Christian is making good progress,” said Belichick. “We’ll evaluate it. We do daily. We see him daily and he’s working hard, making progress. But we’ll see exactly where he is and what he’ll be ready to do and when he’ll be ready to do it. So we’ll talk to the medical and training staff and strength staff: the people that have been working most closely with him, trying to get him ready for that.”
New England will be challenged with this upcoming weight of opponents, many of whom pride themselves on strong quarterback play. A return by Barmore could help the Patriots significantly, as they look to put themselves back in the playoff race.
