The New England Patriots received an encouraging update on Christian Barmore two days before their season opener against the Seattle Seahawks.
Barmore didn’t participate in Sunday’s practice because of a knee injury, putting one of New England’s most important defensive linemen on the Week 1 injury report.
But Mike Vrabel indicated Monday that the absence was part of a familiar management plan rather than a sign that Barmore was being shut down.
Taylor Kyles of CLNS Media reported Monday morning that Vrabel said Barmore would practice after sitting out the previous day.
“This is something if you followed last year [he] probably managed last year, throughout the season,” Vrabel said, via WBZ’s Dan Roche. “I respect how Christian prepares when he’s not out there, and we try to give him exactly what he needs.”
That’s a meaningful distinction for a Patriots team preparing for a Super Bowl LX rematch in Seattle on Wednesday night. The game is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET at Lumen Field.
Vrabel Points to Patriots’ Previous Barmore Plan
Barmore’s Sunday absence stood out because New England listed only three non-participants on its first injury report of Week 1. Offensive lineman Ben Brown also sat out with a knee injury, while running back TreVeyon Henderson remained sidelined by an ankle issue.
The official report gave Barmore a knee designation, but Vrabel’s follow-up extended more context one day later. His reference to last season also matches how New England handled Barmore through stretches of the 2025 schedule.
Barmore appeared as a limited participant for “not injury related/other” reasons on multiple weekly reports, including ahead of games against the Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals and New York Giants. He also had a knee injury late in the season, missing a Dec. 19 practice before New England’s game against the Baltimore Ravens.
Despite that management, Barmore played all 17 regular-season games in 2025 and started 16. He finished with 29 tackles, two sacks and 11 quarterback hits, then started all four of New England’s postseason games during its run to Super Bowl LX.
That workload provides some evidence behind Vrabel’s relaxed tone Monday. Barmore’s status still bears watching until the final injury report, but a return to practice after the missed session is a favorable step.
Barmore’s Availability Matters in Seahawks Rematch
The Patriots have spent the past year structuring their defensive front around a deep rotation, and Barmore is one of the interior players capable of changing a series on his own.
His best statistical season came in 2023, when he recorded a career-high 8.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss and 16 quarterback hits. His 2024 season was then limited to four games after he was diagnosed with blood clots, making his ability to stay on the field throughout 2025 a significant development.
Barmore had made himself known as a major piece of the defense before those health concerns. New England selected him 38th overall in the 2021 NFL draft out of Alabama, and he has totaled 15.5 sacks across 65 regular-season games. The 2025 season marked the first time since 2021 that he appeared in every game.
New England will want that availability from the start against Seattle. The Seahawks enter Week 1 as the defending Super Bowl champions after beating the Patriots 29-13 in February, and Wednesday’s matchup gives New England an on-the-spot test against the team that ended its season.
Barmore’s expected practice participation Monday should help ease the concern created by his initial knee designation.
For now, the update shifts the focus from why Barmore missed Sunday’s practice to how much work he gets before kickoff.
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