The New England Patriots will be down a key contributor with Christian Barmore out.
The starting defensive tackle is out indefinitely after being diagnosed with blood clots, and the team is preparing for the possibility that he could miss the entire 2024 season.
Other defenders will be forced to step up. Defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery called out defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale to be one of those guys.
Ekuale has been with the organization since 2021. He had two sacks in back-to-back seasons as a rotational piece for the Patriots, before going down with a torn biceps in 2023.