Patriots start CB Stephon Gilmore on PUP list, won’t play vs. Saints in Week 3

Patriots start CB Stephon Gilmore on PUP list, won’t play vs. Saints in Week 3

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The New England Patriots will be without one of their best players for the first six weeks of the 2021 season, including a Week 3 matchup with the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 26. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Tuesday that the Patriots placed cornerback Stephon Gilmore on the physically unable to perform list (PUP) with a quad injury that has sidelined him for much of the summer.

If the Saints designate wide receiver Michael Thomas to the same PUP list (as is expected while he recovers from ankle surgery), it means both the 2019 Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year won’t be facing each other. Marquez Callaway has admirably filled in on top of the Saints depth chart throughout training camp, while Jalen Mills and J.C. Jackson have taken the lead in the New England secondary.

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