New England Patriots defensive lineman Christian Barmore, who has been out since being hospitalized with blood clots during the summer, practiced on Thursday for the first time since his diagnosis.
Barmore has been on the team's non-football illness list since the time of his hospitalization. New England signed veteran Mike Purcell shortly thereafter as a possible replacement, but he was released less than three weeks later.
"Our principal concern at this time is Christian's health and well-being," the team said in a statement at the time of Barmore's hospitalization. "Fortunately, Mass General Brigham provides some of the best healthcare in the world. While there is no current timetable for his return, we know Christian is getting tremendous care, and we look forward to his full recovery."
The hospitalization occurred almost three months to the day after Barmore signed a four-year, $84 million contract extension with the Patriots. The deal, which averages $21 million per year and has made Barmore one of the NFL's 10 highest-paid interior defenders, signaled New England's plans to continue featuring the lineman as a core piece of new coach Jerod Mayo's unit.
Originally a second-round draft pick out of Alabama in 2021, Barmore has appeared in 44 games for the Patriots to date, starting 11 contests. He logged a career-high 8.5 sacks in 2023, when he also set personal-best marks in tackles (64), quarterback hits (16) and tackles for loss (13).
Barmore's return to the practice field is yet another recent positive for the Patriots, who have won two of their last three games after a 1-6 start to the season. New England will play host to the 4-5 Los Angeles Rams this Sunday.