FOXBORO — Mike Vrabel does not believe Christian Barmore’s history of blood clots will limit him in this Sunday’s AFC Championship Game.
He and his staff will, however, monitor the defensive tackle’s health while the Patriots play in the thin air of Denver’s Empower Field at Mile High.
“(It’s) certainly something that we’ll have to monitor,” the Patriots head coach said before Thursday’s practice. “There are some players that we’ll have to monitor for one reason or another. But I don’t see any limitations for Christian.”
Barmore’s blood clot diagnosis wiped out most of his 2024 season, limiting him to four games. The 26-year-old fully recovered last spring and has yet to miss a game this season, appearing in all 19 for New England with 18 starts.
His 2025 production (29 tackles, two sacks, four tackles for loss, 14 quarterback hits) did not match his 2023 peak, when he set career highs with 64 tackles, 8 1/2 sacks, 13 TFLs and 16 QB hits. But he plays a key role in a Patriots front seven that’s looked dominant through two playoff rounds.
Barmore has played in Denver once in his career, and that was arguably his best game as a pro. He sacked then-Broncos QB Russell Wilson three times and played a career-high 87% of defensive snaps in the Patriots’ 26-23 win at Mile High on Christmas Eve 2023.
