Concerns arose on Friday with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady popping up on the injury report with right elbow soreness.
Listed as questionable for the Patriots matchup on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, it appears the veteran quarterback will be just fine and is slated to start. Though there wasn’t much doubt over his status for Sunday, it was certainly a cause for concern to see his name on the Friday injury report.
But Brady, who hasn’t missed a game due to injury since Week 17 of the 2008 season, has fought through worse injuries before. He played in the 2017 AFC Championship with a gash on his throwing hand and struggled through the 2015 regular-season finale in Miami with some minor knocks.
Though many thought the injury was simply “load-management”, it appears to be slightly more serious as Brady was unable to finish practice on Friday, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
From @NFLGameDay: #Patriots QB Tom Brady’s elbow is worth watching. He’s going to play today, but how much of an issue will the maintenance be?
As for who Brady will be throwing to on Sunday, that remains up in the air. Phillip Dorsett and Mohamed Sanu are both inactive after suffering injuries last week in Philly. Rookie running back Damien Harris is also out with a hamstring injury and Ryan Izzo is a healthy scratch as well.
This means the only active receivers on Sunday are Julian Edelman, N’Keal Harry, and Jakobi Meyers with a chance to see Matthew Slater potentially running routes.
#Patriots inactives.
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What About the Offensive Line?
Marcus Cannon, New England’s starting right tackle, also popped up on the injury report Friday afternoon after he missed practice with an illness. Patriots’ offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia was immediately optimistic that Cannon would suit on Sunday.
If he is good to go, the Patriots will have a healthy offensive line for the first time since Week 1 against Pittsburgh. Isaiah Wynn, just activated off injured reserve on Tuesday, will make his return and likely start at the left tackle position.
The Patriots offensive line could look a little smoother with its blocking on Sunday with a stable presence at tackle once again. New England’s desire to get the ground game in motion could also take a step in the right direction with Wynn back in the fold.
As for inactives on the offensive line, Korey Cunningham is the lone lineman not dressed against the Cowboys.
Other Injuries
The Patriots had a jam-packed injury report on Friday that featured starters Patrick Chung, Jason McCourty, Julian Edelman, and Matthew Slater. Three of those four will see action on Sunday, with the exception being Jason McCourty who is out with a hamstring injury.
Patrick Chung returns after missing last Sunday’s game against his former team in Philadelphia with chest and heel injuries. He’ll join Devin McCourty, Duron Harmon, and Terrence Brooks as part of a fully healthy safety corps with rookie Joejuan Williams active as well.
The seventh, and final, inactive for New England is Cody Kessler. A healthy scratch, the Patriots must feel confident that Brady can battle through his elbow injury without the need for a third emergency backup.
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Patriots Inactives vs Dallas: Mohamed Sanu & Phillip Dorsett Out