The New England Patriots ruled out seven players for their Week 8 game against the Cleveland Browns, including edge defender Keion White. Entering the weekend with no injury designation, White is one of
six healthy scratches.
For the third-year defender, this is the latest low in what has largely been a disappointing season. Originally entering training camp as a starter on the edge opposite Harold Landry, he eventually lost his position to free agency pickup K’Lavon Chaisson and has been a role player ever since.
In total, White has appeared in five of the Patriots’ first seven games and registered no sacks and just three quarterback pressures. He also missed one game each with an illness and elbow injury, respectively.
“The [two] games he’s missed, some health stuff, new position,” said outside linebackers coach Mike Smith about White this week. “It’s just continuing learning and and continue just getting in a rhythm. It’s tough when you miss that amount of games and practices. For him it’s just to continue and to learn the position and stay healthy. Some things you just can’t control. Just try and stay positive and work through those things.”
White’s inactivity with the NFL trade deadline coming up on Nov. 4 makes him a potential player to watch in the coming days. Fact is, the Patriots are not afraid of making moves to strengthen the state of their defensive edge.
The rest of the Patriots’ inactives looks as follows:
Patriots inactives
- QB3 Tommy DeVito
- WR Efton Chism III
- OL Caedan Wallace
- DT Eric Gregory
- ED Keion White
- ED Caleb Murphy
- S Kyle Dugger
New England had one player listed on its injury report heading into the weekend, with Kyle Dugger questionable due to a knee injury. After playing 100% of defensive snaps the last two weeks, he will now miss the game against Cleveland.
The other inactives, like the aforementioned Keion White, are all healthy scratches. That includes wide receiver Efton Chism, who served as the team’s featured kickoff returner the last two weeks, as well as recent waiver wire pickup Caleb Murphy.
Browns inactives
- QB Shedeur Sanders
- RB Raheim Sanders
- OT Cornelius Lucas
- OL Zak Zinter
- DT Adin Huntington
- CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse
- S Damontae Kazee
The Browns entered Sunday with three players deemed questionable. While Shedeur Sanders (back) and Adin Huntington (concussion) were both ruled out, tight end David Njoku has been given the green light despite nursing a knee injury.
Kickoff between the Patriots and Browns at Gillette Stadium is set for 1 p.m. ET.
