The New England Patriots have been one of the surprises of the 2021 NFL season, holding onto a half-game lead over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC East. The two rival sides square off in Week 13 for what will be a pivotal matchup, but the Pats just got a worrying injury update on a key defensive player.

According to NFL insider Field Yates, Patriots star safety Kyle Dugger is expected to be placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list after he missed practice on Wednesday.

The Patriots and Bills will take the field for a primetime matchup on Monday night, giving Dugger an additional day of rest to potentially overcome the illness and get back on the field. His status for the game is up in the air, but if he can't play, it'll represent a significant loss to New England's defense.

Dugger was drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Patriots and has since become a mainstay in the team's secondary. He leads the defense with 80 tackles in 2021 and also boasts three interceptions, one fumble recovery, and four tackles for loss across 12 games, 10 of which he's started.

The Lenoir-Rhyne University product featured on 86% of the Patriots' defensive snaps in Week 12, and hasn't been on the field for less than 70% of their snaps in a single game all season.

New England has a BYE in Week 14, so if Dugger can't suit up on Monday, it's expected he'd be able to make his return for the Patriots' Week 15 clash with the Indianapolis Colts.