Saturday’s kickoff at Gillette Stadium is set for 1 p.m. ET.
The New England Patriots will face the Los Angeles Chargers with a new starter in the middle.
The organization downgraded center Ben Brown to out on the eve of Saturday’s matchup at Gillette Stadium.
Ben Brown has been downgraded to out for #LACvsNE. pic.twitter.com/s4Mz9jPSUP
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) December 27, 2024
Brown, 26, had been listed as questionable on the final injury report of the short week. He will now remain in the NFL’s concussion protocol after beginning and ending preparations as a non-participant.
Since arriving on the 53-man roster in October, Brown had started all 10 games and stayed in for all 667 offensive snaps. His absence leaves reserve interior linemen Lecitus Smith and Cole Strange on deck. The latter, whose tenure spans 27 starts at left guard, recently made his 2024 debut on special teams after sustaining a torn patellar tendon last December.
“Once they go into the protocol, it’s really out of our hands,” Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said during his Thursday press conference. “It’s in the league’s hands. Now, in saying that, we have to have guys ready. You think about Lecitus. You think about Cole. You think about those guys, and they got to be ready to go.”
Entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2022 after starting 40 straight games at Ole Miss, Brown spent his rookie year on injured reserve with the Cincinnati Bengals and went between the practice squad and active roster of the Seattle Seahawks last fall. Stints with the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders followed before he made his way to the AFC East.
In additional movement, the Patriots have placed cornerback Marcus Jones on injured reserve, activated offensive tackle Caedan Wallace from injured reserve and elevated wide receiver Alex Erickson as well as linebacker Monty Rice from the practice squad.
Saturday’s kickoff in Foxborough is set for 1 p.m. ET.