New England Patriots injury run 2026 season, Digi Mart USA News (Foxborough, Massachusetts): Following Sunday’s gruesome 45-27 loss to the Packers, the New England locker room was quiet. Veteran safety Kevin Byard overheard a conversation between teammate Craig Woodson and a reporter, in which Woodson was asked about the team’s near-catastrophic run of injuries and whether there was a breaking point.
“It’s pro football, man,” Byard said quietly as he continued to get dressed. Woodson paused before replying with a shrug.
“At the end of the day, we’ve got to play football,” he said softly. “Regardless of who we’ve got.
Who we don’t have. I mean, we’ve got to play.”
No one in the New England locker room is making excuses, but the 2026 season has been defined by injuries. The only time the Patriots were completely healthy this season was for the first quarter-plus of the opener against the Seahawks.
Then A.J. Brown went down with a high ankle sprain, and health problems have continued since.
Sunday brought more of the same. With Brown, Romeo Doubs, TreVeyon Henderson, Alijah Vera-Tucker and Mike Onwenu already sidelined, a steady stream of players went to the medical tent against Green Bay.
Left tackle Will Campbell (knee), left guard Ben Brown (knee), cornerback Carlton Davis (knee), special teamer Brenden Schooler (hamstring) and running back Rhamondre Stevenson (knee) were among those unable to finish. Tight end Cameron Latu also appeared to be banged up on a second-half kick return.
“It’s football, man. This is football,” said veteran right tackle Morgan Moses, echoing Byard.
“It doesn’t matter about the injuries. Obviously, you can sit there and say it’s affected us, but we believe in every man in this locker room when their number is called.”
Defensive tackle Milton Williams said the team has been dealing with injuries all year. “We play a physical game, with 100 percent injury risk,” he said.
“People ain’t gonna feel sorry for us if we’re dealing with injuries. Nobody’s going to talk about the injuries.
They’re just going to say, ‘We play the New England Patriots.’ We’ve just got to continue to put our best foot forward.”
The Patriots face an uncertain week. They will travel to Germany for next Sunday’s game against the Lions, which will require them to recover from Sunday’s loss quickly while managing the logistical challenges of playing overseas.
New England is scheduled to get some key players back sooner rather than later, but Tuesday’s trade deadline also looms. The team could be inclined to make a move to address positions of need, particularly running back, where the short-term future of both Stevenson and Henderson is uncertain.
“We’ve got to control what we can control, and that’s playing football and going out there and displaying something that we feel good about,” Moses said when asked how players should handle the trade deadline. “And I think that’s the No. 1 priority.”
With the bye week set for later this month, veteran receiver Mack Hollins suggested the self-scouting process should start early for some players. “You are what you put on tape,” he said while standing by his locker.
“Like, this is who we are this week. And if there’s guys on this team that are OK with that, I’m sure there’s 31 other teams they could go to maybe, and they could live like that.”
Williams and the rest of the roster are aware of the gravity of the moment. How the Patriots respond, individually and as a group, could define the 2026 season.
“We’re going to find out a lot about our team after a game like this, with the deadline and all the other noise,” Williams said as he headed for the door. “We’re going to figure out the type of guys, the type of men we’ve got on this team, and just continue to find ways to improve.”
