The New England Patriots Defensive Tackle Christian Barmore turned 25 yesterday. However, this was surely not the kind of birthday that he was looking forward to. The tackle was diagnosed with blood clots and it might have been the most harrowing news that he had received in a while.

It all started out as a simple bruise on his calf. The kind of bruise you wouldn’t think much about. However, head Patriots trainer Jim Whalen insisted the player get it checked. No doubt, his diligence saved Barmore’s condition from worsening over time. The athlete is under the care of doctors at Mass General Brigham.

His agent released a statement regarding the same. “I would be remiss if I did not thank the Patriots’ trainer, Jim Whalen, for his absolute diligence and care over the last couple of days. Today could have looked a lot different without Jim’s persistent and expertise,” wrote Lynn on X. This came after the Patriots decided to share a statement about Barmore’s health and his future with the team.

The Patriots Defensive Tackle is still in his rookie deal, and this is his last year as a rookie. We have no idea whether his condition will have season-ending implications or not. Per the New England team’s post on X, “While there is no current timetable for his return, we know Christian is getting tremendous care and we look forward to his full recovery.”

The situation is quite unfortunate because the DT just finished the last season with career-best stats. He amassed 39 solo tackles, 8.5 sacks and 1 forced fumble. However, blood clot issues are not new. Last year, Cleveland Browns receiver, Marquise Goodwin was diagnosed with blood clots in his legs and lungs. He was placed on a non-football illness list and recovered to play 12 games for the Browns in the last season.

Though Marquise Goodwin was lucky enough to recover from the illness, there’s someone who had to retire from the league altogether. Former Cardinals center Billy Price retired in May this year due to potential complications from a blood clot.

But coming back to Christian Barmore, he did miss 6 games in the 2022 season with a knee injury. However, that’s completely different from what he’s facing right now. Barmore may be out of this season indefinitely. A sports medical expert gave more insights into Christian Barmore’s situation and what it could mean for him in the future.

How long can it take for Christian Barmore to return?

Sports medical expert, Dr. Jessica Flynn, shed more light on Barmore’s situation in a reply to Nicole Lynn’s recent X post. Though the doctor described this condition to be serious, the good thing was there was no delay in diagnosing the issue.

Dr. Flynn replied to Nicole Lynn’s post on X saying, “Christian Barmore’s agent 👇. Blood clots can be a very scary diagnosis for patients, but the overwhelming majority of patients do well. It is so important to catch blood clots as early as possible to prevent life-threatening situations. 🙏 Sounds like the Patriots staff did a great job.”

Similarly, Jesse Morse, a health and wellness doctor for TheInjuryExpertz, also shared his thoughts on X. He mentioned that since the athlete was diagnosed with blood clots, he would be placed on blood thinners for about three months at least. Athletes are not allowed to play while on blood thinners because that leads to a higher risk of bleeding.

“There is a good chance Barmore misses at least all of August, September and October, and this could potentially end his season,” the doctor opined. So it seems like fans will have to wait for a while before Barmore can return.

This also reminds us of David Andrews- New England Patriots center- who was treated for blood clots in his lungs in 2019. It had jeopardized his season. Then in 2017, Antonio Garcia missed all of his rookie season because he had to deal with blood clots in his lungs.

Regardless, Christian Barmore’s priority is his health at the moment. We wish him a speedy recovery.