The New England Patriots are dealing with a couple of injuries to pass-catching weapons ahead of their Week 1 opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers. And in the contest, it appears that they are going to be shorthanded at the tight end position.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Patriots are likely to be without tight end Matt LaCosse for Week 1. LaCosse suffered a preseason ankle injury and hasn't seen the field since the team took on the Detroit Lions in the first week of the NFL preseason.
#Patriots TE Matt LaCosse (ankle), one of the players tasked with replacing TE Rob Gronkowski, is not expected to face the #Steelers, source said. The Pats haven’t ruled out WR Demaryius Thomas (hamstring) yet, but they will be cautious not to aggravate his hamstring further.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 8, 2019
With LaCosse likely out, Ryan Izzo will be the only tight end available for the Patriots. Izzo, a seventh-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, made the team primarily due to his solid blocking skills. Ben Watson and Lance Kendricks are both suspended for this game.
LaCosse was expected to open the season as the team's starter at tight end a year after logging a career-high 24 catches for 250 yards and a touchdown for the Denver Broncos. His new goal will be to get on the field in Week 2 against the Miami Dolphins.
As for Demaryius Thomas, as Rapoport mentioned, the team plans to be "cautious" with him, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see him sit. That would open up more opportunities for Josh Gordon and Julian Edelman in the passing game while Phillip Dorsett would likely serve as the team's third receiver.
The recently-signed Antonio Brown won't be eligible to play in Week 1, so his presence won't have an impact on Thomas, at least for this week.
As game-time draws nearer, we'll have more injury updates on the Patriots including the latest news on their inactive players against the Steelers.
CURRAN: Signing Brown a "just win, baby" move for the Patriots>>>
Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device.