Patriots WR Tre Nixon Injury Update: Roster Spot In Jeopardy?

New England Patriots receiver Tre Nixon has faced a tall task in earning a roster spot. Might his latest injury ultimately decide his fate?

FOXBORO — Though New England Patriots receiver Tre Nixon may be facing an uphill battle for earning a roster spot this season, he has remained hopeful that the third time would be the charm. 

Having spent most of his two NFL seasons as a Pats practice squadder, the Central Florida product has been relying on hard work and grit to catch the eye of the team’s coaching staff throughout training camp.  

Unfortunately, circumstances beyond his control may ultimately derail Nixon’s gallant efforts at securing a spot on the Pats opening day ‘53’ in his third year with the team.  

While attempting to break up a pass from quarterback Bailey Zappe late in the second quarter of New England’s preseason matchup with the Green Bay Packers last Saturday, Packers safety Anthony Johnson landed on Nixon, who had extend beyond triple coverage in order to secure the catch. The 25-year-old remained on the field in visible pain for several minutes while holding his right shoulder.

After being briefly examined by the training staff, Nixon left the field for further evaluation. He did not return to the game, with his status for the week remaining uncertain.  

Despite being overshadowed by several of the Patriots pass-catchers throughout camp, Nixon is well-aware of the place he will always hold in the franchise’s folklore. Having been drafted by the Pats in the seventh-round of the 2021 NFL Draft (242nd overall), he has the distinction of being Ernie Adams’ final draft selection in the Patriots organization.

The revered, but somewhat enigmatic former Patriots director of football research retired in June 2021 — capping a 46-year career which included providing draft analysis, free agency input, football scouting and strategy. As his final order of business with the Patriots, Adams submitted the draft card which made Nixon a part of the Foxboro fold — and he did so with great optimism regarding his potential to help the team.

“I went up to him, and I said: ‘Why me?’ He kind of just told me ‘don’t think too far into it,” Nixon told reporters shortly before the start of his rookie season in 2021. “He told me,  ‘You’re a big guy, you’re smart, and you’re fast. That’s what we need to help us out.’”

While his connection to Adams is quite the line item on his pro-level resume, Nixon has yet to exhibit his true potential. Despite some miscues and drops in the preseason, Nixon is still very much in the mix for the Pats future at the position. 

He continues to project as a vertical deep threat, with the ability to use his speed to shed defenders at the line. Though he has typically lacked some physicality, he has demonstrated the necessary toughness to make catches in tight coverage. In fact, his work ethic has earned him what respect of receivers coach Troy Brown, who spoke highly of the third-year wideout last Friday. 

“He’s definitely one of the hardest workers of the bunch,” Brown said via video conference. “I wish I had 20 of him.”

However, as padded practices have progressed, Nixon often struggled to break free of defenders. He also was on the unfortunate end of several dropped passes, as well as responsible for some miscalculated routes. As such, he has seen a steady decline in his reps with the second-team offense. 

Internally, Nixon also faced some stiff competition at the position. With strong performances from fellow wideouts (and roster hopefuls) Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas, Nixon’s versatility and work ethic needed to set him apart. 

While he has performed adequately overall to date, Nixon’s lack of consistency has prevented him from being a front runner for a spot on the team’s initial 53-man roster. Regrettably, his current injury status may decide his fate before the fight has been completed. 

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