Patriots Place David Andrews and Caedan Wallace on IR

The New England Patriots announced on Friday that offensive linemen David Andrews and Caedan Wallace are being placed on injured reserve. Both players were injured in Sunday’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Andrews suffered a shoulder injury, which will require surgery. Wallace injured his ankle when he got rolled up by a pile of players on a fourth-down play. Neither player returned to the game.

Head coach Jerod Mayo stated that Andrews would be done for the year. This did not come as a surprise, as reports earlier in the week indicated Andrews would probably miss the rest of the season. Expected or not, it is a disappointing end to Andrews’ tenth NFL season in New England. The Patriots need his production and his veteran leadership, especially as things have hit a rough patch of late.

Mayo said “there’s a chance” for Wallace to return this season. However, that implies he will miss most of the season at the very least. The New England Patriots selected Caedan Wallace in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. After playing right tackle throughout his college career, the Patriots hoped he’d be able to transition to the left side in the NFL. He struggled in his lone start, but the key here is losing an opportunity to develop as a rookie. Instead, Wallace will mostly focus on rehabbing his injured ankle.

Fifty Players on 53-Man Roster

The two players landing on IR creates two open spots on the Patriots’ 53-man roster. New England had one open spot already, so now there are only 50 players on the team’s 53-man roster.

Kendrick Bourne, Sione Takitaki, and Marte Mapu have all been practicing with the team this week after spending the first four weeks on the PUP list. If they are healthy enough to play on Sunday, they will likely fill those open spots without any other roster moves needed. However, the Patriots are also needing to add some offensive line depth.

The New England Patriots host the Miami Dolphins at one o’clock on Sunday.