After being targeted on the first throw of the Patriots’ win on Sunday, DeVante Parker slowly limped off the field and didn’t return to the game. The Patriots originally listed Parker as ‘questionable’ to return, before downgrading him to out early in the second half.
There was no update on Parker until Monday morning, when NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweeted that Parker “suffered just a knee sprain.” He added that “if he misses time, it’ll likely only be one game.” ESPN’s Jeremy Flower later added that Parker “could miss some time but [it] shouldn’t be lengthy absence.”
#Patriots WR DeVante Parker questionable to return after this injury. Mechanism can lead to MCL sprain. If he stays loose and feels ok, possible to return. All depends on symptoms. pic.twitter.com/et4E1KJvH2
— DocFlynn (@DocFlynnNFL) October 30, 2022If Parker does have to miss time, the Patriots’ schedule is favorable in terms of allowing him to ease back in. They are at home against the Colts next week, then have their bye week before another home game against the Jets.
That’s all good news for the Patriots and Parker, who has been the team’s best big-play threat for most of this season after a bit of an adjustment period the first few weeks. In eight games, Parker has caught 15 passes for a team-best 321 yards. His 21.4 yards per catch ranks second in the NFL among qualified receivers.
Parker missing next week’s game would mean no rematch against former Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who is now with the Colts. The last two times the two faced off at Gillette Stadium – when Gilmore was with the Patriots and Parker was with the Dolphins – Parker clearly got the better of Gilmore. That included an eight-catch, 137-yard performance in the 2019 regular season finale, a game the Dolphins won, knocking the Patriots out of a playoff bye.
For however long Parker is out, the Patriots do have the depth at wide receiver to fill his role. His absence could mean an increased role for Nelson Agholor, who has seen his usage rate decrease sharply since rookie Tyquan Thornton returned from IR. It will also be interesting to see how Parker’s injury impacts the Patriots’ approach to Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, with reports that the team has received calls on all of its veteran wide receivers.
DeVante Parker’s 2022 game log
Rec. Snaps Date Wk. Opp Result GS Tgt Rec Yds Y/R TD Total Pct 2022-09-11 1 @ MIA L 7-20 * 2 1 9 9.00 0 57 100% 2022-09-18 2 @ PIT W 17-14 * 2 0 0 0.00 0 52 76% 2022-09-25 3 BAL L 26-37 * 10 5 156 31.20 0 64 97% 2022-10-02 4 @ GNB L 24-27 * 2 2 24 12.00 1 56 97% 2022-10-09 5 DET W 29-0 * 0 0 0 0.00 0 31 52% 2022-10-16 6 @ CLE W 38-15 6 4 64 16.00 0 55 79% 2022-10-24 7 CHI L 14-33 * 5 3 68 22.67 0 48 92% 2022-10-30 8 @ NYJ W 22-17 * 1 0 0 0.00 0 1 1% Total 4-4-0 28 15 321 21.40 1 Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at [email protected].
