Chandler Jones could be done for the year
New England Patriots defensive end Chandler Jones was initially expected to miss at least one month with a hip injury, but he could miss even more time than initially expected. Jones is vital to the Patriots success on defense, so every game he misses takes a huge cut out of the team’s defense. Without his pass rushing ability, the Patriots will have to rely even more on their elite secondary to prop up the defense, as Jones is easily the team’s most talented rusher and most consistent source of pressure.
More from New England Patriots
- 5 Players the New England Patriots gave up on way too early
- New England Patriots upgrading their ground attack
- Patriots looking to sign a former star running back for 2023
- NFL: Mike McCarthy and 4 Head Coaches on the hot seat heading into 2023
- New England Patriots QB options in 2024 if Mac Jones fizzles out
It looks like Jones’s hip injury could even cost him the rest of the season as a worst-case scenario, as the Boston Herald’s Jeff Howe reports that the Patriots are worried that their young DE could even miss the whole year. It isn’t clear how long he’ll be out yet, but Howe reports that Jones is set to miss a minimum of six weeks, which is a bit longer than the timetable for return that was initially projected.
Jones has 26 tackles, 4.5 sacks, a fumble recovered, and two passes defended so far this season, and the Patriots fear for the health of their talented end is well-founded. The possibility of him missing the rest of the season is very real, and the best-case scenario for the Pats is to have Jones back in the lineup for the marquee matchup against the Green Bay Packers in Week 13.