The New England Patriots have placed fullback Jakob Johnson on the injured reserve list with a shoulder injury.
There were reports on Friday that Johnson would be placed on the injured reserve list and that the Patriots would be without a fullback. Johnson’s path to become an NFL starter didn’t come easy. He’s a Germany native and navigated his way to the Patriots through the league’s International Pathway Program.
Johnson was released by the Patriots during roster cuts, and he eventually got re-signed and placed on the practice squad. The Patriots had to put James Develin on the injured reserve list with a neck injury, and Johnson was given the opportunity to become a part of this offense.
He sustained the shoulder injury against the New York Giants and it was almost immediately known that he would miss a chunk of time. The likelihood that Johnson returns this season is very slim, because New England can only return two players this season from the injured reserve list. Currently, it looks like Isaiah Wynn and N’Keal Harry will re-join the team this season.
Johnson started three out of four games with the Patriots and had one reception for five yards.
