Patriots' Jerod Mayo Reveals Next Steps Amid Barmore's Diagnosis

The New England Patriots are suffering from a big loss to start their season.

Aug 19, 2022; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore (90) on the sidelines during the second half of a preseason game against the Carolina Panthers at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

Things took a turn for the unexpected on Sunday for the New England Patriots, as it was announced that standout defensive tackle Christian Barmore would be sidelined indefinitely due to blood clots discovered over the weekend.

It's a big blow for Barmore, who will likely be out for at least a portion of the upcoming NFL season, and maybe more, right after inking a new four-year deal over the offseason. The discovery is also a tough blow for the Patriots and their defensive unit, who will now be searching for how to mitigate their newfound loss as best they can in preparation for their coming campaign.

Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo spoke with the press to kick off Monday's training camp practice, where he issues a statement surrounding the current status of Barmore and his recovery:

"Obviously, it's an unfortunate thing, but for me, it's not even about football when you talk about things like that. It's about the man, and he's getting tremendous care, and I'm anticipating him coming back... No timetable [for a return]. I think all of these situations are different, and I'm not a specialist in that world, so I don't want to put a diagnosis or a timetable to come back. When he's ready to go, we'll be here waiting for him."

- Jerod Mayo on Christian Barmore

Barmore has been a vital cog of the Patriots' front seven since arriving to Foxboro back in the 2021 draft, with his most recent season showing out as his best.

The former second-round pick finished his last year with a career-high in sacks (8.5), tackles (64), TFLs (13), and pass deflections (6). That type of pull on the defensive end is difficult to replace, but it's the situation this New England staff is now tasked with.

Mayo continued to speak on some of the implications of Barmore's looming absence, noting that while the team may not immediately know who will be the player to step up during his leave, the staff's mentality is still the same as if this situation were a normal injury:

"We'll see. Today's the first day in pads. It's easy to say, 'This guy can do it, that guy can do it,' but a guy like Barmore, as disruptive as he is, it's kind of hard to get that same production. Look, other guys have to step up. Treat it like it's a normal injury, even though it's not a normal injury, and next man up."

- Jerod Mayo on Christian Barmore, cont.

When looking down the roster to pin some potential players to step up without Barmore, names like Daniel Ekuale and Armon Watts are potential depth guys who could elevate themselves in the depth chart through training camp and preseason. Even names like Davon Godchaux, Deatrich Wise, and Keion White can show out in the trenches without one of their best playmakers in the front seven.

Depending on how this transition goes, the start of next season could end up as some tough sledding for this Patriots defense without one of their most dominant forces on the interior. Nevertheless, the mentality is just as Mayo emphasized moving forward: next man up.

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