The New England Patriots began the season with two fullbacks. Now they have zero.
The Patriots are expected to place Jakob Johnson on injured reserve with a shoulder injury he suffered Thursday night against the New York Giants, The Boston Globe's Jim McBride reported Friday.
New England promoted Johnson off the practice squad on Sept. 21 after sending starting fullback James Develin to injured reserve. Johnson only saw one offensive touch (a five-yard reception in Week 5) over the next four games, but drew praise from head coach Bill Belichick for his strong work ethic.
The 24-year-old is a native of Stuttgart, Germany, and came to the Patriots via the NFL's International Pathway Program. He's the first player from that program to appear in an NFL game.
New England also was without wide receiver Phillip Dorsett on Thursday night and saw Josh Gordon go down with a knee injury in its 35-14 win.
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