3 Patriots Most Likely to Be Inactive vs. Dolphins in Week 8
By Tyler Maher
The New England Patriots have a big game coming up against the Miami Dolphins this week, and they're going to need all hands on deck if they want to win it. The Dolphins lead the AFC East at 5-2, while the Patriots are mired in last place at 2-5.
A win this week would help close the gap for New England, which is coming off a massive win over the Buffalo Bills in Week 7. Miami already won the first game of this series back in Week 2 in Foxborough, so the Pats are hoping to return the favor this Sunday down in Florida.
Unfortunately for New England, not every member of the team's 53-man roster will be able to participate in the game. Only 48 players are able to dress for the game, meaning five must sit out as inactives.
With that in mind, here are three Patriots players who are likely to be inactive in Week 8.
3 Patriots Likely Inactive Week 8
1. Keion White
Keion White is currently dealing with a concussion, which he suffered during New England's Week 6 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. White did not practice at all during Week 7 and was ruled out against the Bills, which is not surprising given the cautious approach that NFL teams tend to take with concussions now.
The rookie defensive lineman did not practice on Wednesday in Week 8, either, suggesting he may be in danger of missing another game. There's still time for him to return to practice in some capacity this week, but the fact that he didn't practice at all on Wednesday isn't a great sign.
While the Patriots could certainly use an important player of White's caliber on Sunday, they're not going to rush him back. The 24-year-old was their second-round pick this year, after all, so they obviously believe he has a future with the team. There's no need to potentially compromise that so early in his career as well as the season, especially in a campaign that's off to such a terrible start.
Time will tell if White makes an appearance on the practice field this week, but don't be surprised if New England holds him out another game just to be safe. The team has too much invested in his future to jeopardize it.