Patriots Get More Concerning Injury News on Young Defender
By Jovan Alford
The New England Patriots have a ton of young players on defense that they are excited to see on the field this season and watch their careers play out. However, one player has been banged up for most of training camp after a quiet rookie season in 2023.
Marte Mapu had a lot of buzz coming into the 2023 NFL Draft after a stellar collegiate career at Sacramento State. The hybrid linebacker was taken in the third round and many people thought he could be a playmaker in New England’s defense.
However, Mapu only produced 14 total tackles, four special teams tackles, an interception, and a forced fumble in 17 games. Heading into his second season, Mapu still has a chance to be a factor in New England’s defense.
The young defender suffered an undisclosed injury after the first day of training camp and hasn’t seen the practice field since. On Wednesday, New England head coach Jerod Mayo gave a concerning injury update on the second-year safety.
According to the Boston Herald’s Zack Cox, Mayo said that Mapu is “week to week” after he hasn’t practiced since the first day of training camp.
Nuggets from Jerod Mayo today:
— Zack Cox (@zm_cox) August 21, 2024
-Patriots expect to decide on their QB1 by next Monday or Tuesday
-Mayo believes Maye’s confidence is improving and he’s “100% ready to run a huddle”
-Josh Uche’s dealing with an injury he suffered this summer
-Marte Mapu, who hasn’t practiced…
With the preseason wrapping up and the regular season on the horizon, it’s good to see that the second-year safety is getting close to returning to the field. Mapu is listed as the backup safety behind starter Jabrill Peppers on the team's unofficial depth chart.
At the same time, with Mapu being week-to-week, the Patriots could place him on injured reserve to start the regular season.
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