FOXBORO - It didn't take long for the Patriots to suffer their first injury of the season.
Defensive lineman Dominique Easley was hurt during a Steelers run on the ninth play from scrimmage Thursday night. He left the field slowly with a hip injury. The team later announced that he would not return.
Easley was the Patriots' first-round draft pick out of Florida in 2014 and while he played in 11 games as a rookie with two starts, he struggled to stay healthy and on the field all season. Without Easley, the team's leaders at defensive tackle will be veteran Sealver Siliga, Alan Branch and this year's top draft pick, Malcom Brown.