The New England Patriots pass rush suffered a blow Tuesday as veteran defensive end Rob Ninkovich went down during a scrimmage with the New Orleans Saints. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Ninkovich will forego surgery and rehab the injury instead. He may return as soon as October if all goes well.
Patriots Pass Rush Suffers Blow as Ninkovich Tears Triceps
With #Patriots LB Rob Ninkovich tearing just his tricep muscle, no surgery is necessary. Rehab. If all goes well, he could return by Oct
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 9, 2016
Rob Ninkovich Tears Tricep
The 32-year old defensive end led the Patriots defense last year in snaps played while compiling 6.5 sacks and seven pass deflections. Rob Ninkovich has been one of the most consistent ends in football, starting every regular season game over the past five seasons for the Patriots. His loss will affect the team both on and off the field as the veteran is a respected defensive leader for New England.
The Patriots expected pass-rushing duo Ninkovich and Jabaal Sheard to replace the sack production left by Chandler Jones following his trade to the Arizona Cardinals. Now free-agent addition Chris Long and young backups Trey Flowers and Geneo Grissom will compete for the veteran’s snaps. Both Flowers and Grissom were drafted by the Patriots in 2015 and have yet to start a game. New England may also look towards defensive tackle Malcom Brown to play a larger role on passing downs and create pressure from the interior.
One of Bill Belicheck’s favorite players, Ninkovich, is a versatile force on the defensive front. He is smart and capable of playing multiple positions in the Patriots hybrid defense such as defensive end, outside linebacker, and defensive tackle on sub packages. With the loss of the 11-year veteran, the Patriots lose a leader and pass rush depth, which was badly needed. Luckily for the team, he could return by October and help the Patriots later in the season.
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