The Patriots practice field saw a welcome addition on Thursday, as fourth-year defensive tackle Christian Barmore made his return after a lengthy battle with blood clots.
The 2021 All-Rookie Team selection has been on the reserve/non-football injury list since late July, rendering him unable to play in games or participate in practice while dealing with this dangerous diagnosis.
Barmore has remained present in the building at 1 Patriot Place as a regular attendant of meetings and film sessions, still putting in mental reps while unable to help his team on the field.
But that all changed Thursday, as the 25-year-old was back with his teammates as they continue their preparations for Sunday’s Week 11 game against the Los Angeles Rams (4-5).
“Yeah, it’s a blessing, right?” defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington said in his weekly press conference with the local media. “So I think that for anybody that was put in shoes or, you know, going through that, it’s definitely a blessing to - first of all, they even caught [the blood clots].
“You know, being able to play football, going through different physicals, go to the doctor and recognize it, and be able to do something for it, and then the ability to go out there and practice is definitely a good start and a blessing.”
With the Alabama product having signed a four-year extension this offseason worth $92 million, it may be difficult for a fanbase starving for consistent winning to take a beat and let Barmore’s return play out in the way it needs to.
Regardless of the external expectations, Covington made it clear on Thursday that he and his staff have no expectations internally for Barmore.
“To me, like, I look at it like this,” said Covington. “And I’ve told Christian this, and I’ll tell you guys this, too, ‘Just remember, manage expectations.’ You guys should manage the expectations of whatever it is. It’s a blessing to be out there on the field. That’s what the focus needs to be on.
“It’s a blessing to be out there on the field - let’s go out there and, you know, do what you can do. And I think all of us need to manage our expectations on whatever it is, you know, you think it is. Like for me and for him and for you guys, just make sure, like, what’s the real deal. Like, he’s out there, alright? He’s out there, that’s the first step. And then go from there.”
For Covington, Barmore’s return is still a step-by-step process, even after being back on the practice field.
“Let’s take one day at a time, one week at a time, one game at a time, and that’s really the story,” said Covington. “That’s the story from you guys. That’s the story from us. That’s the story from him. Shouldn’t be any pressure on him.
“Like, he’s out there. That’s what it is. ‘I’m happy that you’re out there, bro. You out there, it’s one step, it’s 50 snaps, don’t play this game, whatever it is, perfect.’ It’s better than not being out there, right? It’s better than not being able to play football again. So that’s kind of how I look at it.”
Patriots defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery told the media on Thursday that he’s looking forward to having Barmore back with his unit, and that he too is managing expectations, letting the team’s medical staff lead the charge for what Barmore is or isn’t able to do.
This is Montgomery’s first season in New England, after spending the previous nine seasons in similar roles for the Packers.
With Barmore back on the practice field, this will be Montgomery’s first opportunity to work with him in the context of getting ready for a regular season opponent.
“This offseason, you know, I went back and built a tape on each individual guy,” said Montgomery. “And when you go back through the past - one thing he does a great job of is just, you talk about being an effective rusher. He just plays hard and doesn’t stop.
“So he plays with a really good ‘rush motor,’ is what we call it. But he does a great job there, and he’s pretty stout in the run. So, look, effective ball player, so it’d be nice to, you know, at some point in time, get him back.”
Whether Barmore is back on the playing field for Week 11 or not, he’ll eventually be joining a pass rush that just had their best game of the season, sacking Bears rookie QB Caleb Williams 9 times en route to a 19-3 victory in Chicago.
Barmore will make a strength of the Patriots even stronger.
Now, it’s just a matter of when that boost will be coming, and how much of it will the defense be getting once he’s cleared for his return.