Super Bowl 51: Inactives for New England Patriots, Atlanta Falcons

Looking at the inactive players for the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl 51.

For both the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons players alike, playing in Super Bowl 51 will be an unforgettable experience. Even for players like Tom Brady who have been in this position before, you still never forget playing on the NFL’s biggest stage. However, not everyone on each roster gets the chance to play. There are only 46 active roster spots, thus leaving several guys out.

It has to be debilitating and heartbreaking for a player to be ruled inactive in the Super Bowl. To go through the season—even if they weren’t around for the entirety of it—only to not get the chance to take the field on Super Bowl Sunday has to be one of the harder things to deal with. The NFL is a business, though, and that’s one of the cold realities of the business on football’s largest day.

So while much of the focus will be on the players who can have an impact, it’s still interesting and somewhat important to note the players for both the Patriots and Falcons that won’t be dressed for Super Bowl 51. With that in mind, here are the inactives for each team on Sunday in Houston:

Probably the most notable of the inactives would be Patriots wide receiver Michael Floyd. A late-season addition after his DUI-related release from the Arizona Cardinals, there was hope that he would be able to add a new dimension to the Patriots offense. That won’t be the case in the Super Bowl, though.

Next: 5 Game Scenarios for Super Bowl 51

Outside of that, the inactives truly aren’t that surprising for the Big Game. The big names that we know will be on the field and ready to make an impact on the matchup. Unfortunately for these 14 players, though, they won’t have the chance to be the unsung hero of Super Bowl 51.