Patriots concerned about future of DT Christian Barmore

The New England Patriots reportedly don't believe they can pencil in defensive tackle Christian Barmore for their roster, in 2025 or beyond.

According to a wide-ranging story by Andrew Callahan and Doug Kyed at the Boston Herald, Barmore's future is one of many questions facing the Patriots organization this off-season. The Pats are "confronting the possibility they could be without young defensive tackle Christian Barmore after he was shut down with blood clots twice in 2024," per the Herald.

Barmore first suffered blood clots during training camp in late July. Often a season-ending ailment, blood clots knocked out Pats center David Andrews for the entire 2019 campaign. Barmore made a surprise return to the game field in Week 11, but he lasted only four games before being shut down for the season due to a recurrence of blood clot symptoms.

"Some within the organization believe Barmore was rushed onto the field last season, when he returned to play in mid-November after two and a half months off and zero padded practices," according to the Herald. It's reasonable to guess that the "some within the organization" includes new faces such as head coach Mike Vrabel and vice president of football operations and strategy John Streicher, among others.

The Herald added that Patriots leadership "has not divulged any details publicly or in private meetings when asked about Barmore's future with the team, saying only they're taking it slow with recovery." Barmore is under contract with the Patriots for the next four seasons at an average salary of $14.75 million and an average cap hit of about $19.9 million (via Over The Cap).

It's unclear how far the concerns stretch about Barmore's future. It certainly sounds like they're preparing for the possibility that he misses the 2025 season, in order to ensure a complete recovery from the blood clots. But it's a serious enough situation that it's fair to wonder if it could also threaten Barmore's career. Former Bengals offensive lineman Billy Price recently retired at age 28 due to risks associated with blood clots and taking blood thinners.

The Patriots are expected to beef up their defensive line as part of a free agency plan that Vrabel hopes to be "aggressive." They've been linked to Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams in multiple reports, including in the Herald. They're also one of the top potential destinations for defensive tackle prospect Mason Graham (Michigan) at the 2025 NFL Draft.

For a while, the idea was to build around and add to Barmore on the defensive line. Now, it sounds quite possible that they need to replace him, whether short-term or long-term.

Matt Dolloff is a writer and digital content producer for 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read all of his articles here.