Getty KJ Hamler, potential Patriots signing target
If there was any chance for the Patriots to get back into relevancy in the AFC this season, it was squandered with the stunning and disappointing loss to the Commanders—a team that was supposed to be tanking—on Sunday at home in Week 9. Now, Patriots rumors may well be the most interesting aspect of the team.
Who’s going to coach? Who’s going to be the draft pick? Did the owner’s son really say the team is not good?
At the very least, it would be worthwhile for the Patriots to see what can be salvaged of this season, and to that end, Bleacher Report points out that the Patriots should sign former second-round draft pick K.J. Hamler, currently on the Colts’ practice squad. Hamler was diagnosed with the heart condition pericarditis this offseason, and took what he called a “quick break” from football.
Still, the logic of signing Hamler is sound, though Hamler (who is only 24) is unlikely to get the Patriots rumor mill in a tizzy.
“Barring a miracle, the Patriots aren’t playing themselves into playoff contention,” the site wrote on Monday. “So the best path forward from a roster management standpoint would be to target some under-the-radar players who could wind up being part of the long-term plan.”
KJ Hamler’s Health Issues
As Patriots rumors go, K.J. Hamler qualifies as under the radar. After he was chosen with the 46th overall pick in 2020 out of Penn State, Hamler played 13 games for the Broncos, and caught 30 passes for 381 yards and three touchdowns. But he tore his ACL in Week 3 of his second season, and did not play again that season.
Hamler has had little luck with injuries since. Persistent hamstring issues cost him much of the 2022 season, not to mention the overall disaster that was the Broncos’ season that year. Last March, he tore a pectoral muscle during a workout. Then came the diagnosis of the heart condition, after which the Broncos released him.
After the diagnosis, Hamler wrote on Instagram: “I will be back on the field—better and stronger than ever—as soon as possible this season! I feel great physically and this is very frustrating for me to deal with. … It’s tough to deal with this when I was ready for a breakout year, but adversity is nothing new to me. I have been through hell and back, but it’s hard to reach paradise if you don’t go through hell first. I’ll get past this just like everything else on this journey!”
Hamler signed with the Colts’ practice squad on September 30 but has not played this season.
Patriots Rumors on WRs Figure to Persist
As B/R sees it, Hamler is the kind of slot option the Patriots could use, especially given the tough luck the team has had with receivers—Kendrick Bourne is out for the year with a knee injury, Devante Parker is dealing with a concussion and Tyquan Thornton can’t stay healthy.
JuJu Smith-Schuster has been a gamble of a signing that turned up bust, and Patriots rumors persist indicating that his knee will be a problem.
The Patriots have had some luck with seventh-round pick Pop Douglas, who has shown he will be a factor for the team going forward, and had five catches for 55 yards against Washington. Why not try Hamler?
“Hamler is a 2020 second-round pick who just couldn’t break the rotation in Denver. At 24 years old, he still has the potential to turn things around and become a viable slot receiver,” B/R noted.
Get the Patriots rumor mill rolling.