The New England Patriots are expected to put fullback Jakob Johnson on the injured reserve list, according to the Boston Globe’s Jim McBride.
Johnson suffered a shoulder injury in the Patriots’ 35-14 victory over the New York Giants on Thursday night. He’s a Germany native, and signed with the team as a part of the International Pathway Program. The Patriots waived him during roster cuts this offseason, but later signed him on to the practice squad.
This could be a devastating blow for the Patriots’ run game, which is desperately missing James Develin — who also is on injured reserve. Johnson’s blocking vastly improved over the past few weeks and he started to create openings for Sony Michel and the running backs.
The fullback is a vital part of New England’s offense and it is now without one on the roster. The run game has already been stagnant this season, and it’ll likely get worse if the team doesn’t find a replacement for Johnson.
Johnson wouldn’t be eligible to return until Week 16 and the Patriots can only return two players from the injured reserve list. Develin, Isaiah Wynn and N’Keal Harry are all currently on the list — so the likelihood of Johnson returning this season is very slim.
