The first injury report ahead of Sunday’s 1 p.m. ET kickoff at Gillette Stadium.
As the New England Patriots headed back to the practice fields following the mini bye, so did the team’s receiving leader.
Rookie wideout Demario Douglas, standing with 410 yards through 36 catches, was a limited participant on Wednesday after missing consecutive games while in the NFL’s concussion protocol.
Rhamondre Stevenson marked the lone absence for the active roster as Kansas City Chiefs work got underway. The starting running back has been sidelined since sustaining a high ankle sprain on Dec. 3, keeping veteran complement Ezekiel Elliott on the field for 52 offensive snaps, 140 scrimmage yards and one touchdown last week.
Here’s the first injury report ahead of Sunday’s 1 p.m. ET kickoff at Gillette Stadium.
DID NOT PARTICIPATE
Patriots
- RB Rhamondre Stevenson (ankle)
Chiefs
- RB Isiah Pacheco (shoulder)
- OT Donovan Smith (neck)
- LB Leo Chenal (illness)
- S Mike Edwards (illness)
Stevenson exited in the first quarter of what became a 6-0 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers and was ruled out in advance of what became a 21-18 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Prior to then, the former No. 120 overall pick out of Cerritos College and the University of Oklahoma had eclipsed 100 yards of offense in three consecutive games. And for Kansas City, four stayed sidelined on Wednesday, including a fellow lead running back in Pacheco, who missed last weekend due to a shoulder injury.
LIMITED PARTICIPATION
Patriots
- WR Demario Douglas (concussion)
- WR DeVante Parker (knee)
- WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (ankle)
- WR Kayshon Boutte (shoulder)
- OT Trent Brown (ankle, hand)
- DT Christian Barmore (shoulder)
Chiefs
- LB Nick Bolton (wrist, abdomen)
Douglas, Parker and Boutte all went to the inactives list for the Patriots’ wide receiver room last Thursday night at Acrisure Stadium. Smith-Schuster, on the other hand, started and stayed in for a season-best 90 receiving yards against the organization that selected him in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft. Both Brown and Barmore were also available after being listed as questionable. They rotated in to play 60 percent and 69 percent of the downs, respectively, at the offensive and defensive tackle spots.
FULL PARTICIPATION
Patriots
- No players listed
Chiefs
- RB Jerick McKinnon (groin)
- WR Kadarius Toney (hip)
- WR Justyn Ross (not injury related)
- LB Drue Tranquill (concussion)
- CB L’Jarius Sneed (knee)
- S Justin Reid (knee)
While unlisted for the Patriots, offensive tackle Tyrone Wheatley Jr. was present for practice on Wednesday. His 21-day window has opened as a result. The August trade acquisition went to injured reserve due to knee issue in October. As for the Chiefs’ side of the aisle, six players ramped up to full participation to begin the week.