After missing most of last season with recurring symptoms from blood clots, Christian Barmore continues to hit some major milestones in his rehab. The Patriots defensive lineman revealed today that he’s been fully cleared for football activity.
Barmore was a limited participant during the team’s first iteration of offseason workouts last month, and the defensive tackle told reporters that he’ll be a full participant when voluntary organized team activities begin next week. These are all major steps in Barmore’s goal of playing in Week 1, and the lineman still believes he’s on track to play in the season opener.
“Yeah. That’s the goal,” Barmore said (via ESPN’s Mike Reiss). “I just have to keep following the medical team, but everything is looking really well.”
A former second-round pick, Barmore’s last full season saw him compile 8.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, and 16 QB hits. That performance earned him a four-year, $92MM extension ($41.8MM guaranteed) last offseason, but he proceeded to miss the first 10 games of 2024 campaign after being diagnosed with blood clots.
Barmore managed to return to the field for a handful of games, but he was eventually shut down after experiencing recurring blood clot symptoms. Fortunately, all offseason reports out of New England have been positive, and it sounds like the 25-year-old should be ready to go by the time the regular season comes around.
The Patriots are hoping Barmore can form a fearsome interior DL tandem with Milton Williams, who inked a four-year, $104MM deal with New England this offseason. Williams is just one of the several additions to Mike Vrabel‘s new-look defense, and Barmore will represent one of the only holdovers from the previous regime(s).