When the New England Patriots lost rookie running back Sony Michel to a knee injury early in the second quarter of Sunday’s win over the Chicago Bears, it continued a frustrating run of injuries for the team at the position.cheap nfl jerseys china nike
As Michel undergoes more tests to determine the severity of the ailment, the Patriots — who have already placed Jeremy Hill (torn ACL) and Rex Burkhead (concussion) on injured reserve — might have to consider alternative plans with only two other running backs on the roster: James White and Kenjon Barner.
“When guys like him go down, guys like myself and Kenjon just have to step in and fill the void and make the most of the opportunities we get,” said White, one of the team’s captains. “We both run hard and try to get open in pass routes, and just try to find a way to make plays.”
White and Barner did that for the final three quarters Sunday, but relying on that to continue would be a risky approach. It might be OK for one game (the Patriots dressed just two running backs in their Oct. 4 win over the Colts), but not a multiple-game stretch.
That’s why the Patriots could be forced into some type of move — a free-agent signing, trade acquisition or practice-squad promotion — until they have more certainty on Michel’s timeline. At this point, someone close to Michel’s situation texted the following to ESPN’s Adam Schefter: “Expect it will be a little bit, but not overly serious. Won’t know until they look at it Monday.”nike nfl jerseys cheap china
Another layer to the decision-making process is with Burkhead, who is making progress and eligible to return from IR in early December, and thus creates a situation where the Patriots also can view their current situation as a “bridge” until that potentially happens. But that also comes with some risk, because Burkhead has been in and out of the lineup with multiple injuries.
