Report: Patriots special teamer Brandon King likely out for the season

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In the preseason, wins and losses are irrelevant. The number one thing teams hope for in these exhibition games is simple: just get through without getting hurt.

Unfortunately for the Patriots, a number of players went down against the Panthers — and the cost is severe.

According to the Globe's Jim McBride, Brandon King suffered a torn quadriceps Thursday night and will likely miss the season. King, a core special teamer for the Pats, went down during a second quarter punt return, and you could tell it was a serious injury when many of his teammates gathered around King as he was carted off the field.

King signed with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2015 and has been extremely durable, playing in 68 of 75 games over the last four seasons.

McBride also reports than Ben Watson is in the concussion protocol after taking a late hit from Panthers safety Eric Reid in the first quarter Thursday night. Watson was already set to miss the first four games of the season due to a suspension, so there's no immediate on-field impact to the Patriots, but concussion symptoms can linger, so it'll be wait-and-see on Watson. For his part, Reid says he anticipates a fine for the hit.

King and Watson are the biggest injury concerns as of now, but they're not the only ones. Kyle Van Noy, Damien Harris, Gunner Olszewski, Lance Kendricks, Stephen Anderson, and Nate Ebner were also banged up Thursday night.

Popped & Dropped: Phil Perry's analysis from Pats-Panthers>>>>>

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