Sports

Patriots place James Develin on Injured Reserve List

FOXBOROUGH, MA - DECEMBER 02: James Develin #46 of the New England Patriots runs with the ball during the second half against the Minnesota Vikings at Gillette Stadium on December 2, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. 

FOXBOROUGH — The Patriots have placed fullback James Develin on the injured reserve list. Develin, a key offensive piece to a surging Patriots offense, was inactive last week vs. the Jets.

Develin made his NFL debut in 2012 and has appeared in 14 playoff games, including six starts. The three-time Super Bowl champion fullback started the first two games of the season before being sidelined with a neck injury last Sunday.

Hit with the injury bug, the Patriots now have three total players on the injured reserve list who are eligible for possible return this season; 2019 first round draft pick WR N'Keal Harry, 2018 first round draft pick Isaiah Wynn and Develin. While all three injured players are eligible to return later in the season, the team can only choose two players to return from the IR list.

Develin, the latest player injured, is unlikely to return until the later half of the season. Along with losing a crucial part of their running game, the Patriots also lose a veteran presence in the locker room.

When asked about James Develin in a press conference on Monday afternoon, Patriots wide receiver Matthew Slater said he has "never had a better teammate in 12 years of football. He's the best teammate I've ever been around bar none. He's a tremendous human being, but he's always been about this team first."