Patriots
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Patriots safety Kyle Dugger will miss Monday night’s showdown against the Bills because he remains on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.
Dugger’s status for the game became a question mark Wednesday, when he did not practice after testing positive for the virus. He has not returned to the field.
If Dugger is vaccinated, then he could have played if he tested negative twice at least 24 hours apart. If he is unvaccinated, then he automatically would have been ruled out for 10 days. The Patriots will start their bye week Tuesday.
Second-year safety Myles Bryant will likely take on an increased role in Dugger’s absence. The Patriots also temporarily elevated safety Sean Davis off the practice squad.
New England’s defense will, however, be getting one contributor back. Linebacker Jamie Collins was officially activated off injured reserve after missing three games. Collins has seven tackles and an interception in his five games with the Patriots this season.
The Patriots also elevated defensive lineman Daniel Ekuale off the practice squad. Ekuale was previously elevated in Weeks 7 and 8.
The Bills, meanwhile, placed linebacker A.J. Klein on the Reserve/COVID-19 list Monday evening, which means he will be unavailable to play. Klein has played 35.2 percent of the team’s defensive snaps and 42.3 percent of the team’s special teams snaps this season.
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