Patriots rule out both starting guards for Thursday night in Chicago cover
Back to Reality Sports Online Newsroom

Patriots rule out both starting guards for Thursday night in Chicago

New England will face the Bears without Alijah Vera-Tucker and Ben Brown, while A.J. Brown carries no injury designation. Chicago is without Kyle Monangai again, leaving D'Andre Swift as the lead back for the 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff on Prime Video.

Share this article

  • The Patriots will play Thursday night in Chicago without guards Alijah Vera-Tucker and Ben Brown, according to the team's final injury report released Wednesday. Receiver A.J. Brown, who has been managing an ankle injury, practiced fully and carries no game status.

  • New England ruled out five players: Vera-Tucker, Ben Brown, and cornerbacks Carlton Davis III (neck), Channing Canada and Karon Prunty. Right tackle Morgan Moses (ankle), safeties Kevin Byard and Craig Woodson, and linebacker Christian Elliss are questionable. For fantasy, the guard losses matter most. Drake Maye and the New England run game now work behind two backups on the interior, and Moses could make it three new faces on the line.

    On the Bears side, running back Kyle Monangai is out for a third straight game with thumb and toe injuries, and linebacker Jack Sanborn is out with a concussion. Linebacker T.J. Edwards is doubtful and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson is questionable. Guard Jonah Jackson recovered from a hip flexor injury and has no designation, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler posted.

    Both teams are 4-2. Kickoff is 8:15 p.m. ET at Soldier Field on Prime Video, and ESPN's odds feed lists Chicago as a 3-point favorite with a 50.5 total.

    Chicago's backfield runs through D'Andre Swift, who has 94 carries for 398 yards and six touchdowns, per ESPN. Roschon Johnson carried 13 times for 51 yards and a score in Sunday's 31-23 win over Atlanta. Caleb Williams completed 30 of 36 passes for 305 yards in that game, and Luther Burden III caught all eight of his targets for 95 yards. Burden leads the Bears with 31 catches.

    Maye is 117 of 183 for 1,463 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He threw three touchdowns in Sunday's 26-19 win over the Jets. DeMario Douglas leads the team with 20 catches for 233 yards. Rhamondre Stevenson has the most carries at 71, but he gained 36 yards on 14 tries Sunday while Kiner and TreVeyon Henderson also got work. Romeo Doubs is on injured reserve with a shoulder injury.

  • What RSO owners should do now: start Swift as an RB2 with Monangai out, and treat Johnson as a flex in deeper leagues. Start Burden, Williams and Maye. A.J. Brown is safe to start. The Patriots backfield is a split behind a line missing two guards, so keep Stevenson on the bench in shallow formats.

    Watch the inactive list about 90 minutes before kickoff, especially Moses at right tackle and Edwards at linebacker, and see whether New England leans on quick throws to protect Maye.