Patriots seventh-round draft pick Andrew Stueber is the lone player who hasn’t taken the field with the team yet this year. Stueber was absent for the entirety of spring practices, and then didn’t appear at training camp before being put on the non-football injury list (NFI) earlier this week.

Outside of Bill Belichick telling reporters in the spring that Stueber is “not ready to be out there” there had been no indication of what was keeping him off the field prior to him being placed on NFI. However, Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson reported on Thursday that Stueber has a torn hamstring.

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There’s still been no information indicating how Stueber suffered the injury. NFI injuries can include injuries suffered in college games, as well as private training sessions.

The way the NFI rules work, Stueber could technically be activated after four weeks if healthy. However, a torn hamstring is a significant injury that usually requires months to heal. Dallas Cowboys tackle Tyron Smith suffered a similar injury earlier this week, with NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport noting that “if he’s back at all, it’ll be December.”

Had be been healthy, Stueber would have likely been in competition for the final offensive line spot on the Patriots roster. Assuming a full recovery, that will likely be the case for him next summer when he’s back on the field.

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].