After the New England Patriots placed Caedan Wallace on injured reserve on Friday, sidelining him for Sunday’s Week 5 clash against the Miami Dolphins, head coach Jerod Mayo’s defense and offensive line will be stretched thin. Additionally, Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers, who has been nursing a shoulder injury this week, has been ruled out, according to NFL Network’s Adam Schefter.
“Patriots have downgraded safety Jabrill Peppers to out for Sunday’s game against the Dolphins,” Schefter reported. This disappointing update adds to the list of injuries the Patriots are grappling with as they enter Week 5 of the 2024 NFL season.
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In a related move, head coach Jerod Mayo has decided to bench starting running back Rhamondre Stevenson ahead of the Dolphins matchup. Stevenson, who has struggled with fumbling issues, lost the ball four times during last week’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers, prompting increased usage for running back Antonio Gibson against Miami.
However, Mayo confirmed that Stevenson won’t be completely sidelined on Sunday. “I had a conversation with Rhamondre and he won’t be starting … I’ll be upfront and transparent. But he will play. And he understands he has to protect the football going forward,” Mayo shared via ESPN.
Mayo emphasized the importance of ball security, stating, “We can’t preach ‘ball security is job security’ and still have him out there the majority of the time. I think it sends a stronger message to the players that there are certain things we just can’t do to win — especially with the team we have today.”
Caedan Wallace, the Patriots’ offensive tackle, sustained an ankle injury early in the game against the 49ers and is expected to be out for at least six weeks. The rookie was the fourth left tackle Mayo has utilized this season, following the losses of Kendrick Bourne, Marte Mapu, and Sione Takitaki, who are close to making their returns.
Bourne, who tore his ACL last season, was able to practice for the first time this week. Takitaki is still uncertain for Week 5, while Bourne and Mapu have been upgraded to questionable for Sunday’s AFC East matchup.
