It was anything but a typically quiet Sunday afternoon in Foxborough for the Patriots as news of several significant injuries began circulating during the early afternoon. Dion Lewis, Sebastian Vollmer and Shaq Mason are all dealing with injuries while Tom Brady was excused from the facility for personal reasons, leaving plenty to talk about during a normally quiet time.
The Boston Globe was first to report the news, indicating that Lewis is in need of a second knee surgery while Vollmer could wind up on injured reserve thanks to a hip problem. Mason is dealing with a broken hand. The notebook leads with Brady’s excused absence.
ESPNBoston.com says James White and Marcus Cannon will be key figures for the team in light of the injuries.
As for Brady, CSNNE.com reports he was excused for Sunday and Monday.
CSNNE.com has Rob Ninkovich explaining how difficult it is to miss time due to injury.
Nate Ebner is happy to be back in the Patriots locker room with his teammates and took some time to recount his Olympic experiences in Rio.
Speaking of injuries, rookie wideout Malcolm Mitchell says his dislocated elbow looked a lot worse than it felt.
ESPNBoston.com also offers 10 quick-hit thoughts around the NFL.
Finally, the Patriots released safety Cedric Thompson.
