When the New England Patriots defense first took the field against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, one of its starting members was suspiciously absent. Defensive tackle Christian Barmore remained on the sidelines, and would not enter the game until the second quarter.
After his team’s 32-13 victory, head coach Mike Vrabel confirmed that the benching happened for disciplinary reasons.
“I had to make a decision,” Vrabel said during his postgame press conference at Gillette Stadium. “My job is to protect
the team. When there are actions that I don’t feel like are commiserate with what we want to do here, I got to make a decision and we move on.”
The nature of Barmore’s infraction is not known. The 26-year-old did not address the media after the game.
A second-round draft pick by the Patriots in 2021, Barmore quickly developed into one of the most disruptive interior defenders in the NFL and cornerstone of the team’s defense. In 2024, he signed a four-year, $84 million contract extension through 2028 but ended up missing a majority of the season after he was diagnosed with blood clots.
Barmore has returned to form this season, even though his stats through eight games — 13 tackles and no sacks — may not reflect it. Against Cleveland, he was credited with one tackle after his return to the lineup and also provided pressure on a Dillon Gabriel safety in the fourth quarter.
