Patriots place Barmore on NFI list due to “recurrent symptoms.”

Patriots

“We appreciate everything Christian has done to return to the team this season, but our top priority is Christian’s health and well-being.”

By Conor Ryan

December 19, 2024 | 5:31 p.m

1 minute to read

Christian Barmore’s 2024 season has ended early.

The Patriots announced in a statement Thursday night that the defensive tackle has been placed back on the reserve/non-football injury list after experiencing symptoms similar to the blood clotting issue that sidelined him for the first 10 weeks of the season .

“The New England Patriots are placing defensive tackle Christian Barmore on the reserve non-football illness list after he experienced some recurring symptoms that required further evaluation,” the Patriots’ statement read. “We appreciate everything Christian has done to return to the team this season, but our top priority is Christian’s health and well-being.

“We know he will continue to receive excellent care and we want to ensure he gets the time he needs to come back stronger than ever.”

Barmore, who signed a four-year contract extension worth up to $92 million in April, was forced to pause his career in 2024 due to health reasons.

Barmore was coming off an impressive 2023 season in which he recorded a career-best 8.5 sacks and was expected to be a cornerstone of New England’s young defensive core.

But the 25-year-old lineman landed on the reserve/non-football injured list during training camp in July because of blood clotting issues.

Barmore was initially ruled out “indefinitely” during camp due to his illness, with Patriots center David Andrews missing the entire 2019 season after battling a similar health issue.

But Barmore finally returned for New England on Nov. 17, offering hope that he could help improve balance for a porous Patriots defense that has struggled to contain the run all season.

“The blood clots are no joke,” Barmore said after his season debut against the Rams. “I had really bad shortness of breath, which really bothered me. … My teammates have been really incredibly supportive and I love them all, the coaches and everything. And I told myself that I wouldn’t lose this fight. So I said to myself: I’m going to keep fighting and keep going.”

Barmore finished the 2024 season with one sack and six solo tackles in four games (123 total snaps).

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.