I'm told second-year linebacker Ronnie Perkins is headed to IR, which will end his season.
Buy Patriots TicketsAll NFL teams have to get down to 80 players today.
— Phil Perry (@PhilAPerry) August 23, 2022
The New England Patriots are placing second-year outside linebacker Ronnie Perkins on injured reserve in their first move to cut down to an 80-man roster on Tuesday.
With Perkins going on IR before the final 53-man cut, it means he won’t be able to return until the following season. So this move will officially bring an end to his 2022 campaign.
The former third-round pick out of Oklahoma is still waiting for his first meaningful snap on an NFL field. He was inactive for 13 games last season before going on injured reserve on December 17.
He had hoped to be one of the players to step up this season with veterans Jamie Collins, Kyle Van Noy and Dont’a Hightower leaving.
“I’ve been focused on coming in this year ready, coming in stronger, coming in in shape, ready to help the team however I can,” Perkins said back in June. “It’s definitely sad to see those guys go, Jamie, KVN, High but it also tells us it’s time to step up. We can’t lean on those older guys anymore, it’s time to step into their shoes.”
The competition at outside linebacker is fierce with Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings having incredible training camps. Uche continued to flash in his second year with the Patriots last season, but he appears hell-bent on having a breakout year this time around.
And Jennings seemingly came from out of nowhere. The third-year linebacker is finally healthy and on the verge of locking down a starting role on defense.
For Perkins, it’ll be another season of sitting back and taking notes, while hoping for better luck next year.
