Patriots Football Daily: Calvin Anderson Reveals Health Issues

The New England Patriots signed veteran free agent Calvin Anderson on March 15, 2023. The offensive tackle was expected to compete for a starting role on last season’s squad. Anderson missed training camp, however. New England placed him on the non-football injury list on July 25, 2023. The Patriots activated Anderson on Aug. 29, 2023, just before the season began.

Reports indicated Anderson dealt with a serious illness, though specifics of the illness were not disclosed. Anderson posted to his X account this past March, stating he would soon be telling the story.

I almost lost everything.

In 2023 I nearly lost my life and my career. I had to walk with God in order to turn devastation into transformation. Soon I will tell the story of how resilience allowed me to return to the game I love.

I promised you I would be back.

🤫 pic.twitter.com/AMpRQKpo2z

— Calvin Anderson (@THE_CONDA25) March 5, 2024

Christopher Price of The Boston Globe wrote an article detailing Anderson’s health struggles last summer. Things were much more serious than many realized. Anderson started for the Patriots in Week 1 of the 2023 season. Only six weeks earlier, doctors advised Anderson there was only a 50-50 chance of him surviving. What was the diagnosis?

Calvin Anderson had contracted malaria during a trip to Africa during the offseason. Nobody knew this until July 22, 2023, when Anderson awoke with a 104.5-degree temperature. His wife brought him to the hospital immediately where the diagnosis was made. It is the first known case of an NFL player having malaria.

Anderson was cleared to return to the team before the season began. Despite not going through training camp, and recovering from a very serious illness, Anderson started the season opener. The performance earned him the respect of his teammates and coaching staff. During New England’s Week 2 game, it became obvious Anderson was not 100% ready for football activities. That game was the last time Anderson would take offensive snaps in 2023. It would not be his final serious health scare.

During a practice leading up to a November game against Washington, Anderson suffered a freak injury during a team practice. There was enough chest discomfort and heartbeat abnormalities that he went to the hospital once again. This time the diagnosis was a “heart contusion” for Anderson. It was another scary setback, with the only remedy being rest.

Calvin Anderson feels back to full strength and is ready to battle for a starting tackle job in training camp. The New England Patriots want him to contribute in 2024. But most importantly, everyone hopes Anderson can avoid any other major health scares moving forward. For the full article from Chris Price, click here.

Also in today’s Patriots Football Daily:

Patriots Football Now

Report: New England is releasing Nathan Rouke

Meet the newest New England Patriot: Joey Slye

NFL free agents still on the market for New England

NFL News

CBS Sports – Report: Kirk Cousins left Minnesota because of plan to draft a QB

ESPN – Joe Burrow back to throwing at Bengals workouts

NBC Sports – Andy Reid on new kickoff rule: ‘I’m not afraid of changes’

NFL.com – Three-time Pro Bowler signs with the Raiders

Yahoo! Sports – Former Bears QB Bob Avellini dies at 70

Yardbarker – Former first-round pick addresses future with the Browns

Boston Bruins

Go to our sibling site Boston Hockey Now to check out the great Boston Bruins coverage from Jimmy Murphy and the BHN team. The Stanley Cup Playoffs are underway and plenty is happening in the Bruins 100 Anniversary season.

Boston Hockey Now –Brandon Carlo scores one for Crew Carlo in Game 1

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Football Fun Fact of the Day

Bob Avellini played his entire 10-year NFL career with the Chicago Bears. In 1977 he led the Bears to the playoffs and led the NFL with four game-winning drives.

Single-season record for game-winning drives: Matthew Stafford (2016 Lions) and Kirk Cousins (2022 Vikings) share the single-season NFL record with eight game-winning drives.

Career NFL record for game-winning drives: Tom Brady with 58. Brady also hold the postseason record with 14, eight more than any other quarterback.

Post of the Day

The New England Patriots had two game-winning drives in 2023. Bailey Zappe helped set up Chad Ryland for a 56-yard field goal to beat the Broncos. The other was a touchdown to beat the Bills, courtesy of Mac Jones and Mike Gesicki:

Gesicki Griddy on #NationalTightEndsDay! @Patriots take the lead!

📺: #BUFvsNE on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/iTs8HMaXlh pic.twitter.com/KkN4aX6ugG

— NFL (@NFL) October 22, 2023