New England Patriots fullback Reggie Gilliam left Sunday’s game at Buffalo with an ankle injury, putting his return in doubt against the unbeaten Bills.
The injury struck before the first quarter was half over. Now the Patriots must navigate the rest of a road game in Orchard Park without their lead blocker out of the backfield.
Patriots’ official communications announced the injury at 1:26 p.m. ET, listing Gilliam as questionable to return. The score was 0-0 with 14:55 left in the first quarter and New England facing second-and-6 at the Buffalo 37, according to the Patriots’ official injury page.
How Gilliam got hurt remains a bit of a mystery. The first word came from Patriots Catch-22 reporter Evan Lazar, who saw Gilliam head to the locker room and initially called it a knee problem before the team clarified.
Gilliam entered the day questionable with a knee after a week of limited work, according to MassLive‘s Mark Daniels, and he was among six questionable Patriots cleared to play, Chad Graff reported on X before kickoff.
The fullback arrived in New England as a free agent from Buffalo, signing March 12 for three years and $10.8 million with $6 million guaranteed, according to Over the Cap contract data. Josh McDaniels wanted a lead blocker for the run game, according to the team’s free-agent signing announcement.
Gilliam walked on at Toledo, moved from running back to tight end and fullback, and blocked six kicks, according to The Athletic. Undrafted in 2020, he played 94 regular-season and 14 playoff games for Buffalo through 2025, according to a Pats Pulpit report.
Patriots Fullback Reggie Gilliam’s Injury History
The knee problem traces to New England’s Week 2 win over Pittsburgh. He was limited the following Wednesday, according to RotoWire‘s injury report, then played eight offensive snaps in the Week 3 loss at Jacksonville.
Earlier setbacks include a hip injury in 2024, an ankle injury in 2022 and a knee injury in 2020, according to the Fox Sports injury log.
Otherwise, he has been durable. Buffalo named him its 2025 Ed Block Courage Award winner after he played through a 2024 injury that required surgery, according to his Patriots.com profile.
New England Patriots Outlook Without Reggie Gilliam
Gilliam has one catch for 4 yards and no carries through three games, according to ESPN. His snaps usually live on special teams, with 373 in 2025 against 259 on offense.
If he stays out, tight ends can handle the extra blocking. Cameron Latu and Eli Raridon are the options. Raridon is active after missing Week 3 with a thigh injury, according to the Boston Herald.
The bigger hole is elsewhere. Christian Gonzalez and Christian Barmore, both with shoulder injuries, are out, and Channing Canada is inactive with a hamstring injury, according to Pats Pulpit‘s inactives list.
Losing Gilliam trims New England’s 21 personnel and kick-coverage depth. It leaves the quarterback and the pass-game plan untouched.
What Happened to Reggie Gilliam? Patriots FB Exits Early in Buffalo Return