Finally, a little good news on the injury front for the New England Patriots.
Edge-rusher Dre’Mont Jones, who missed last week with a shoulder issue, was listed as a limited participant at practice for the second straight day.
Why should that be considered good news?
After practice on Thursday, Jones was at his locker, speaking to the media. It’s a position that injured Patriots players rarely find themselves in.
He’s talking; that’s a good sign
Jones was asked straight out if he would play in Buffalo.
“We’ll see what they say,” said Jones.
Getting back to work this quickly, whether or not he plays against the Bills, is a bit of a surprise for the 2026 free-agent pickup.
Ugly injury at Gillette
Things looked bad when he went down at Gillette Stadium in Week 2 against the Steelers.
“Initially, it hurt so bad. I didn’t know what was going on,” Jones said. “But once everything calmed down and (we were) able to see some pictures and see what was going on, it was good to know that the severity wasn’t that crazy.”
Instant impact in opener
It didn’t take long for the 29-year-old Jones, who has now played for five different teams in his eight NFL seasons, to prove his worth to the Patriots.
He had a sack and four QB hits in the opener at Seattle, showing that he indeed could fill the void left by the loss of K’Lavon Chaisson to free agency.
Should he be able to go vs. Buffalo, it would ease the current strain being placed on second-year man Elijah Ponder and rookie Gabe Jacas, who played in 82 and 79 percent of the defensive snaps on Sunday in Jacksonville. Both are easily career highs.
The Patriots are still without Harold Landry, who began the year on the physically unable to perform list. Landry had 8.5 sacks for New England in 2025.
The guys on the Patriots defense certainly know what kind of effect a healthy Jones could have in the Buffalo game.
“(He’s) just a great overall player,” said defensive tackle Milton Williams. “If he’s out there, we’re going to need him. If he’s not, we’re going to miss him.”
