New England Patriots announce Christian Barmore hospitalized with blood clots

The New England Patriots announced Sunday that defensive lineman Christian Barmore was diagnosed with blood clots over the weekend.

Barmore was treated by doctors at the Mass General Brigham Hospital. There is currently no timetable for his return.

“Over the weekend, Christian Barmore was diagnosed with blood clots,” the Patriots said in a statement. “He was appropriately treated by the doctors at Mass General Brigham, who tested, evaluated and treated Christian. Our principal concern at this time is Christian’s health and wellbeing. 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.”

Barmore, 25, is entering his fourth season in the NFL, all with the Patriots. A 2021 second round pick out of Alabama, Barmore is coming off his best season to date. He suited up in all 17 games, tallying 8.5 sacks and 64 tackles (39 solo). He added 13 tackles for loss, 16 quarterback hits and one forced fumble. The Patriots rewarded him this offseason with a four-year extension worth a maximum value of $92 million.

“I would be remiss if I did not thank the Patriots’ trainer, Jim Whalen, for his absolute diligence and care over the last couple of days. Today could have looked a lot different without Jim’s persistent and expertise,” Barmore’s agent, Nicole Lynn, wrote on X.

Christian Barmore’s NFL future up in the air

Jesse Morse, a health and wellness doctor for TheInjuryExpertz, provided some information on what kind of timetable Barmore could be looking at as it pertains to returning to action.

“Well this is VERY concerning for Patriots Christian Barmore,” Morse wrote on X. “There is huge risk of the blood clot traveling to the lungs (pulmonary embolism), heart (heart attack) or brain (stroke) without the use of blood thinners (anticoagulants). Barmore was just diagnosed with blood clots, which means he has to be placed on blood thinners for at least 3 months (usually), sometimes up to 6 months, and some people are on them indefinitely.

“Players are NOT allowed to play while they are on blood thinners, as the risk of bleeding is astronomical. There is a good chance Barmore misses at least all of August, September and October, and this could potentially end his season. Huge loss for the Patriots. Unfortunate situation.”