The New England Patriots placed wide receiver Romeo Doubs on injured reserve on Monday after he suffered a shoulder injury during a Week 6 win against the New York Jets, sidelining the team’s receiving leader for a minimum of four games.
Romeo Doubs Lands on Injured Reserve After Diving Touchdown Catch Against Jets
Romeo Doubs’ sixth game in New England proved to be his last for at least a month. The offseason free agent signing played just two snaps in Sunday’s 26-19 win over the Jets, making a dramatic 42-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter before landing hard on his right shoulder and remaining on the turf. Medical staff tended to him in the end zone before he walked off under his own power, visiting the sideline medical tent before heading to the locker room. On Monday, the Patriots officially placed him on injured reserve, ending a promising stretch of chemistry with quarterback Drake Maye.
Reflecting on the play after the game, Maye expressed frustration over the circumstances of the injury.
Patriots place WR Romeo Doubs (shoulder) on injured reserve. pic.twitter.com/QOErAvRgIU
“I tried to give him a ball to catch,” quarterback Drake Maye said after the game. “I hate — I could’ve put it more on him and not have him dive, and then he goes down. Those are things that I care about, that I’m mad at, but it’s football.”
Drake Maye, Quarterback, New England
Doubs leads New England in receiving yards with 261, adding 14 catches and three touchdowns through his first six games. The four-year, $68 million contract he signed in the offseason made him a cornerstone of the team’s revamped receiving corps. Because he must miss a minimum of four games on injured reserve, Doubs will sit out upcoming matchups against the Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins, Green Bay Packers — the franchise that drafted him in the fourth round in 2022 — and the Detroit Lions in Munich.
Roster Shuffling and Waiver Wire Targets Fill the Void in New England
With Doubs sidelined alongside fellow injured wideout Mack Hollins, New England’s active roster is down to four wide receivers: A.J. Brown, DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams, and Efton Chism III. To help replenish depth, the Patriots signed Ryan Miller after Miami cut him during their Week 6 bye. The 26-year-old wideout originally entered the league as an undrafted rookie out of Furman in 2023, spending time with Tampa Bay and the New York Giants before joining Miami in August.
Fantasy analysts note that DeMario Douglas stands to gain an immediate spike in volume, while tight end Eli Raridon operates primarily as a blocking complement to Hunter Henry, who caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Maye earlier in the season against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Cascading Injuries Along the Offensive Line and Roster Adjustments
Doubs’ absence coincides with a staggering wave of injuries along the offensive line. During the win over the Jets, right tackle Morgan Moses and left guard Alijah Vera-Tucker joined Doubs in exiting early with ankle and hamstring injuries, respectively. Moses left the locker room with a walking boot on his right foot and ankle, while Vera-Tucker departed in the second quarter. Backup offensive lineman Ben Brown also suffered a knee injury, forcing reserve Walter Rouse into action as the team exhausted its active depth behind an offensive line featuring rookie Caleb Lomu, Matt Pryor, Jared Wilson, and Will Campbell.
“It’s absolutely insane,” Rouse said. “And it’s not something that you want to see happen at all because those are your brothers or teammates.”
Walter Rouse, Offensive Lineman, New England Herald
To round out their active line for Thursday night’s primetime matchup at Soldier Field, the Patriots can potentially activate tackle Marcus Bryant from injured reserve or elevate interior linemen Jake Kubas and Xavier Newman-Johnson from the practice squad. New England enters the short-week contest looking to maintain momentum behind Maye, whose recent performances have locked him in as a weekly fantasy starter with overall QB1 upside despite a depleted receiving corps that also includes practice squad wideouts Kyle Dixon, Cameron Dorner, and Chandler Brayboy.
