Hold up, Patriots Nation, because the news dropped straight from head coach Mike Vrabel and it’s a gut punch for the secondary: starting cornerback Carlton Davis III is officially out for the season opener against the Colts. We’re talking about a guy who’s been sidelined since the very first week of camp, and Vrabel just confirmed his absence will stretch at least until the end of next week. That means no Davis for the joint practice with the Colts on Tuesday, and more critically, zero Davis for the game just two days later. Yikes.
The Riddle of Romeo Doubs and Campbell’s Return Plan
Look, when a key player misses practices, you immediately think the worst, right? That’s why the update on wide receiver Romeo Doubs is actually a huge sigh of relief. He missed two straight practice days, but Vrabel confirmed it wasn’t injury related at all. Instead, it was a “personal thing,” which the coach described as “all very positive.” Doubs is back with the team today, ready to work, and that’s exactly what you want to hear for your offensive weapons. No drama, just good vibes there.
Then there’s the starting left tackle, Will Campbell. He’s been rocking a brace on his left arm for the last couple of practices and was limited on Thursday. Vrabel isn’t expecting him to suit up for today’s scrimmage, which kinda stings, but the coach sounded pretty optimistic. The word is Campbell should be “ready to go” after the weekend. You gotta hope that optimism is well-placed, because you need your big guys up front protecting the QB.
Brenden Schooler’s “Cautious” Outlook and What it Means
Now, special teamer and team captain Brenden Schooler is still on the non-football injury list, and Vrabel kept it super tight-lipped there, offering no concrete updates. What we *do* know is the team is playing it “very cautious” with him. Vrabel stressed there’s “no real reason to push that or force that issue,” even calling Schooler a “large part” of the team’s plans. They’re just not going to rush him back until he’s “as close to 100% as he possibly can be.”
It’s tough when a captain is out, especially with that kind of vague timeline. “Very cautious” can mean anything from a couple more weeks to much longer. For a special teams ace and leader, his presence is felt. While you appreciate the long-term view, you gotta wonder how long “cautious” is going to keep him off the field.
The Patriots are hitting their 12th practice of the summer today at 10:15 a.m. ET. After that, they get two well-deserved off-days before they’re back at it on Monday. With Davis already out for the opener, and Schooler’s status still murky, these next few days of rest and then Monday’s return are huge. The team needs to heal up and get everyone they can on that field, especially with the regular season opener already feeling super close.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pats Pulpit.
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