Things are getting scary thin for the New England Patriots at the wide receiver position.
On Thursday’s injury report, rookies Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte were listed as non-participants at practice. Douglas is currently in concussion protocol after taking a vicious hit that went unflagged on special teams in last week’s loss to the New York Giants.
Meanwhile, Boutte is currently dealing with a shoulder injury and illness. Douglas’ availability is likely in doubt for Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers, but Boutte’s status is worth monitoring heading into the game.
Here’s the full injury report for both teams on Thursday:
| Player | Injury | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Game Status |
| WR Demario Douglas | Concussion | DNP | DNP | ||
| RB Ty Montgomery II | Illness | DNP | FP | ||
| C David Andrews | Foot | Limited | Limited | ||
| LB Ja’Whaun Bentley | Hamstring | Limited | Limited | ||
| LB Chris Board | Back | Limited | Limited | ||
| WR Kayshon Boutte | Shoulder | Limited | DNP | ||
| OT Trent Brown | Ankle/Chest | Limited | Limited | ||
| RB Ezekiel Elliott | Thigh | Limited | Limited | ||
| OL Riley Reiff | Knee | Limited | DNP | ||
| WR Matthew Slater | Ankle | Limited | Limited | ||
| G Sidy Sow | Ankle | Limited | Limited | ||
| DL Deatrich Wise Jr. | Shoulder | Limited | Limited |
DNP: Did not practice; LP: Limited participation ; FP: Full participation
Los Angeles Chargers
| Player | Injury | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Game Status |
| WR Keenan Allen | Quadricep | DNP | DNP | ||
| OLB Khalil Mack | Not injury-related | Rest | |||
| TE Nick Vannett | Concussion | DNP | DNP | ||
| G/T Zack Bailey | Back | Limited | DNP | ||
| T Trey Pipkins III | Wrist | Limited | Limited | ||
| T Rashawn Slater | Back | Limited | FP | ||
| S JT Woods | Illness | Limited | Limited | ||
| TE Gerald Everett | Shoulder | FP | FP | ||
| WR Quentin Johnston | Ribs/Finger | FP | FP | ||
| LB Eric Kendricks | Knee | FP | FP | ||
| LB Kenneth Murray Jr. | Shoulder | FP | FP | ||
| DL Otito Ogbonnia | Knee | FP | FP | ||
| DB Ja’Sir Taylor | Illness | DNP |
DNP: Did not practice; LP: Limited participation ; FP: Full participation
It’s bad timing to have injuries at receiver considering the cushion the Chargers’ defensive backfield has been allowing opposing passing offenses.
Assuming the offensive line holds up in pass protection, which is a stretch at this point, the Patriots might have some opportunities to take shots downfield. Whether they’re actually able to take advantage of those opportunities with a banged-up and underperforming receiving corps remains to be seen.
