The 2023 New England Patriots were a team in transition, moving away from some of the longest-sustained success ever with Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. Subpar play, injuries, and an aging roster led to a 4-13 record, the worst record since 1992.
With a new front office and coaching staff, the Patriots have a chance to restore relevance to their franchise. They moved on from Mac Jones, Ezekiel Elliott, Lawrence Guy, JC Jackson, DeVante Parker, Mike Gesecki, Mack Wilson, Jalen Mills, Trent Brown, Myles Bryant, Chris Board, and Cody Davis. This should translate to an improved record in both the division and conference, potentially playing spoiler to others.
Below are the notable injuries from 2023 and concerns for 2024.
Offense | Defense | Free Agency | Draft Picks
Offense
OT Calvin Anderson (Malaria/Heart Contusion)
Anderson had a rough go of it in 2023, missing most of the training camp while recovering from malaria while on a mission trip to Nigeria during the off-season. He was able to return to play in Week 1 but struggled as he worked to return.
Regrettably in November, he was hit in the chest which caused a heart contusion and led to a rapid heartbeat. He was forced onto injured reserve for the rest of the season.
Fortunately, once treated, malaria doesn’t have any lingering effects. As for his heart, as long as the cardiologist clears him, he should have no restrictions heading into 2024.
WR Kendrick Bourne (Torn ACL)
Bourne tore his ACL against the Miami Dolphins in Week 8, missing the remainder of the season. Despite the injury, the Patriots rewarded Bourne with a contract extension, indicating their faith in his abilities coming off the injury.
Barring setbacks, Bourne should be ready to go heading into training camp but may lack some explosion and agility off his right leg initially. This is a time-dependent recovery and he will need to be patient as he plays through his return.
OL Cole Strange (Left Patellar Tendon Tear)
Strange suffered a left patellar tendon tear in the Week 15 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. His season ended and he underwent surgery.
Patellar tendon tears are notoriously difficult to return back from and continue to play at a high level. The return rate is anywhere from 50-80 percent based on the research but it takes even longer to return to the prior level of form.
He is expected to miss the start of the season and potentially more. That may be an ideal timeline which means he could be out even longer. When he does return, I am not anticipating he will do well in 2024. He will need to play to get back into playing shape but don’t expect much from Strange this season.
WR Tyquan Thornton (Shoulder)
Thornton missed the first five weeks of the season and was placed on injured reserve after suffering what appeared to be an AC joint sprain in the preseason. This was the second straight season that he started the season on IR after a collarbone fracture last year.
RB Rhamondre Stevenson (High-Ankle Sprain)
Stevenson suffered a right high-ankle sprain in the Week 13 contest against the Los Angeles Chargers. He attempted to rehab through the following several weeks before being placed on injured reserve prior to Week 17.
Heading into 2024, he should not have any residual issues as high-ankle sprains heal reliably after rest and rehab.
Defense
DT Daniel Ekuale (Torn Bicep)
Ekuale suffered a torn bicep in the Week 3 win over the New York Jets and underwent season-ending surgery. He should not have any restrictions come training camp and should be able to return to his prior level of play.
CB Christian Gonzalez (Torn Shoulder Labrum)
Gonzalez’s rookie season ended in Week 4 when he suffered a right shoulder labrum tear trying to tackle Tony Pollard in Week 4. This occurred as Gonzalez had his arms extended out and fell forward, over-flexing and externally rotating the shoulder, tearing the labrum. This is an injury he could have played through but considering his value as a top draft pick and how the season went, it was smart to get it repaired.
There is a small chance he could re-tear, but this would require a similar mechanism of injury. There should not be any decline in performance heading into 2024.
CB Marcus Jones (Torn Shoulder Labrum)
Jones suffered a torn labrum in the Week 2 loss to the Miami Dolphins, ending his season. He had similar injuries coming out of college to both shoulders which means he’s no stranger to rehab. He should be able to come back to his prior level of play in 2024.
LB Matthew Judon (Torn Bicep)
Judon suffered a distal bicep tendon tear in the Week 4 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. He had said after the surgery that he would return in two months, but that would not come to pass. He is an older player which can affect production but if he has a decline in performance, I would attribute it to more of his age versus coming off the injury.
LB Raekwon McMillan (Torn Achilles)
McMillan missed all of last year after suffering an Achilles tear in offseason OTAs. Having over a full year to recover should allow him to regain that explosiveness he once had, but I would still expect to see that occur in the second hand of the season as he rounds into form.
Free Agents
All injury info comes from Pro-Football-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.
RB Antonio Gibson
Gibson comes to New England for a fresh start after suffering multiple turf toes, calf/hamstring strains, MCL sprains, and a broken foot over the last four years.
TE Austin Hooper
Only missed one game in the past three seasons.
LB Sione Takitaki
Missed two games last season, and suffered a torn ACL in 2022.
WR KJ Osborn
Hamstring strain in 2020 and concussion in 2023.
S Jaylinn Hawkins
Missed two games over the last two seasons.
TE Mitchell Wilcox
Missed zero games last season.
LB Oshane Ximines
Spent most of the 2023 season on the practice squad, and started the 2022 season on the PUP list due to a hamstring strain.
K Joey Slye
No injury concerns.
OL Nick Leverette
Limited to three games last year due to being inactive, and worked through shoulder and knee injuries in 2022.
QB Jacoby Brissett
No recent notable injury concerns.
OT Chukwuma Okorafor
No notable injury concerns.
DL Armon Watts
No notable injury concerns.
Draft Picks
All injury info courtesy from Dane Brugler of The Athletic
QB Drake Maye
No notable injury concerns.
WR Ja’Lynn Polk
Right collarbone fracture in 2021, and missed nine games.
OT Caedan Wallace
Missed the final five games in 2022 due to a lingering ankle injury.
G Layden Robinson
Missed two games in 2021 and 2023, respectively.
WR Javon Baker
No notable injury concerns.
CB Marcellas Dial
No notable injury concerns.
QB Joe Milton
No notable injury concerns.
TE Jahiem Bell
Torn left ACL in high school in 2019 and torn left meniscus in 2020.
Final Thoughts
This is a team in transition that looks to have strong leadership that needs to slowly mature. With a new quarterback, experienced coordinators, and coaching staff, the Patriots have the opportunity to rebuild correctly and regain their status as one of the top AFC teams in the conference.
Injuries certainly contributed to the decline in wins and performance on the field, but the lack of success I would attribute more towards coaching than missing the actual players. Key players in Judon, Gonzalez, Strange, and Stevenson did hurt them at different times, but the roster wasn’t so decimated that they couldn’t be competitive.
This team will most certainly be better than their 4-13 record last season. I expect them to win anywhere from 6 to 9 wins and fight to stay out of the bottom of the AFC East cellar. It may be a few more seasons before they fight for division titles, but they can certainly show they are not a doormat and an easy W for any team on their schedule.
Top Photo Credit: Sports Illustrated
