When the New England Patriots signed Romeo Doubs, the hope was that he would be one of the more productive receivers on the team. In an ideal world, he’d be the No. 2 option behind A.J. Brown and very productive, but injuries have derailed that plan to this point.
In the latest injury, Doubs went down with a shoulder issue that he suffered while making a touchdown catch against the New York Jets. That forced the Patriots to put him on IR. It’s a major blow after he’d been taking some strides from a slow start and Brown had gotten healthy. Luckily, reports seem to indicate it won’t be an overly long stint.
“Patriots WR Romeo Doubs (IR, shoulder) is hopeful to return after the Week 11 bye, per source. Not expected to be a long-term absence at this point,” Jeremy Fowler reported.
That timeline would mean Doubs misses a total of four games. That includes three games against the NFC North, one of which is his former team, the Green Bay Packers. There’s also an AFC East matchup against the Miami Dolphins in the mix. It would have him returning for the last game in November, a road trip to the struggling Los Angeles Chargers.
Timelines can change, of course. For now, it’s a positive update after Doubs had to go on IR.
New England Patriots WR Romeo Doubs Had a Slow Start to the Season
It was a bad first impression for Romeo Doubs and Patriots fans, as he struggled in the Week 1 opener. That included a bad drop when the Patriots were trying to figure out the offense in the wake of A.J. Brown’s injury in the second half.
Doubs’ numbers improved in Week 2, with 96 receiving yards. However, he also had a fumble.
Things have started to pick up since then, though. In the Patriots’ three-game winning streak, Doubs has 3 touchdown receptions. That includes on the play he was injured. He also has 8 receptions during that time, which likely would have been more had he not gotten hurt.
It’s a bad break for someone who was learning a new offense and building chemistry with a new quarterback. Hopefully, he’ll be able to hit the ground running once he’s back from the shoulder issue.
Injury Issues are Adding Up for the Patriots
At this point, it’s impossible to understate how big a concern injuries are becoming for the Patriots. Doubs made for 13 players currently on IR, going all the way back to tight end Julian Hill, who was injured in June.
Beyond that, on Monday’s Injury Report, the Patriots had a laundry list of players named. 17 Patriots, in total, made the list, including some massive names. Drake Maye, TreVeyon Henderson, and Will Campbell were a few who were able to fully practice. However, four other starters on the offense were either limited or didn’t practice at all.
Now on a three-game winning streak, the Patriots have found ways to overcome the injuries. How long that lasts, however, remains to be seen. In particular, on a short week this week.
Patriots Get Timeline for WR Romeo Doubs to Return from Injury, IR Stint