The New England Patriots have a must-win game against the Buffalo Bills this Sunday but will now have to head into that game down two players.
According to ESPN’s Field Yates via Mike Reiss, cornerback Jack Jones and punter Jake Bailey have been moved from the reserve/injured list to the reserve/suspended list by the team. Reiss noted that the move suggests that the reserve status is no longer just about their injuries.
Jones was the Patriots’ fourth-round pick out of Arizona State in the 2022 NFL Draft. He has appeared in 13 games, making two starts, 30 tackles, two interceptions, a pick six and six passes defended.
Bailey has been the Patriots’ starting punter since they drafted him in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors in 2020 but was averaging just 42 yards per punt before suffering his injury.
The Patriots have already had their replacements for Jones and Bailey for a few weeks so it seems unlikely that this move will affect their short-term playoff hopes when they take on the Bills this weekend.
The bigger concern for the two might be if whatever infractions that led to their suspension are serious enough to threaten their roster spots heading into the 2023 offseason.
The Patriots play the Bills this Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on FOX.