FOXBORO, Mass. — Christian Barmore is officially back.
The star defensive tackle, arguably the New England Patriots’ best player, practiced Thursday for the first time since being diagnosed with blood clots in late July. Let’s go over everything fans need to know about his current status, plus look at Thursday’s practice attendance.
Christian Barmore Practices for First Time Since Blood Clot Diagnosis
Barmore didn’t practice on Wednesday after New England head coach Jerod Mayo said there was a “chance” he’d return sometime in the next two weeks. But Thursday began with reports about Barmore’s imminent return, and the 25-year-old indeed took the field for the first time since early in training camp.
Here are some videos of Barmore running through drills:
First look at Christian Barmore, who's practicing for the first time since late July pic.twitter.com/2Yf6PDesNJ
— Dakota Randall (@DakRandall) November 14, 2024
Patriots DT Christian Barmore has returned to practice @RapSheet report officially confirmed! pic.twitter.com/Epdw0KdLt0
— Sophie Weller (@sophieewellerr) November 14, 2024
First look at Christian Barmore in action @newftbj @AdamKurkjian pic.twitter.com/opu9hxqyFm
— Kevin J. Stone (@kstone06) November 14, 2024
The Patriots will practice again on Thursday and Friday before holding a closed walk-through on Saturday. They’ll host the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.
When Could Barmore Play in Games for Patriots?
It’s hard to envision Barmore playing Sunday — or anytime soon, for that matter.
He didn’t practice on Wednesday when the Patriots were in full pads and wore shells for Thursday’s session. With the Patriots traditionally running lighter practices on Fridays, Barmore essentially would be playing with one non-padded practice under his belt in 3.5 months.
Considering he missed virtually all of training camp with a serious illness, Barmore might need a longer ramp-up period than most players returning from injuries.
"We can rotate fast and be fresh each and every play. I’m very excited."
Davon Godchaux talks about getting Christian Barmore back out at Patriots practice 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/jkKllSEqwx
— Patriots Coverage on NBCS Boston (@NBCSPatriots) November 14, 2024
To that end, the Patriots might want to spare Barmore the brutal Miami humidity when they visit the Dolphins in Week 12.
With Barmore’s 21-day practice window opening on Thursday, the Patriots have until Dec. 5 — the middle of their bye week — to activate him off the non-football illness list. That would leave the pre-bye home game against the Indianapolis Colts and post-bye road matchup with the Arizona Cardinals (Dec. 15) as the most likely spots for Barmore’s return.
When asked about Barmore’s return timeline on Thursday, Patriots defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington put things in the proper perspective.
“To me, like, I look at it like this, and I’ve told Christian this, and I’ll tell you guys this too,” Covington said. “Just remember, manage expectations. You guys should manage the expectation of whatever it is. It’s a blessing to be out there on the field. That’s what the focus needs to be on.
” … Shouldn’t be any pressure on him, like he’s out there. That’s what it is: ‘I’m happy that you are out there, bro. You out there. It’s one step; it’s 50 snaps. Don’t play this game. Whatever it is, perfect.’ It’s better than not being out there, right? It’s better than not being able to play football again.”
Last season, Barmore established himself as one of the best all-around defensive tackles in football. The 2021 first-round pick was rewarded with a four-year, $92 million extension in the offseason.
Whenever Barmore returns, he’ll provide a needed boost to a Patriots defense that struggled to stop the run and generate a consistent pass rush in the first half of the season.
Other Notes From Thursday’s Patriots Practice
- Here’s the full absence list for Thursday’s practice:
DE Deatrich Wise Jr.
WR Tyquan Thornton
OT Caleb Jones
- Wise missed Wednesday’s practice due to a foot injury, whereas Thornton wasn’t listed on the first Week 11 injury report.
- Linebacker Sione Takitaki, defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy, and cornerbacks Isaiah Bolden and Marcellas Dial Jr. all were on the field after missing Wednesday’s practice.
Here are additional highlights from Thursday’s Patriots practice.
Up-close look at Patriots O-linemen pic.twitter.com/uLjnMGc220
— Dakota Randall (@DakRandall) November 14, 2024
Patriots WRs vibing at practice#Patriots #NFL pic.twitter.com/tLKVl9PeBN
— Patriots on CLNS Media (@PatriotsCLNS) November 14, 2024
Video: OLBs coach Drew Wilkins, who had Yannick Ngakoue in Baltimore in 2020, on the traits that Ngakoue has as a pass-rusher. #crosschop pic.twitter.com/xjGo0A9BMU
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) November 14, 2024